Microsoft introduces AI integrated Copilot+ Windows PCs

At a special event on the new Microsoft campus, the technology giant has introduced a new category of Windows PCs with integrated advanced AI capabilities. The new devices are called Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft has partnered with a number of OEMs for these PCs.

The Copilot+ PCs have chips capable of 40+ TOPS. (Image Credit: Microsoft).

New Delhi: Microsoft has introduced Copilot+ PCs, with chips capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). These Windows PCs have access to the most advanced AI models, and Microsoft has introduced new multimodal capabilities in Windows for users to get the most of these fast and intelligent Windows PCs. Apart from Surface, Microsoft has partnered with a number of OEMs for the new Copilot+ PCs including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung.

Microsoft calls it the ‘first wave’ of Copilot+ PCs, reimagining the entire PC experience from the silicon to the operating system, the applications to the cloud, with a deep focus on AI. Microsoft is considering it the most significant change to the Windows platform in decades. Users will be able to use the new Recall feature to find anything on the desktop using text or visual search. This feature essentially provides users with a photographic memory of everything that they have done on the system.

On-device generative AI

Paint and Photos now have on-device generative AI capabilities, leveraging the NPUs as well as powerful local small language models. Microsoft has integrated AI-powered image creation and editing natively into Windows. Users can combine rough sketches with text prompts to generate new images in realtime, using Cocreator. The feature set allows for users to edit and evolve ideas, with the capability of iterating on generated images.

New System Architecture

Microsoft has introduced a novel system architecture, so that the users can get the most out of the CPU, GPU and the NPU. The Copilot+ PCs are connected to large language models (LLMs) running on Azure Cloud, in tandem with small language models (SLMs). Microsoft claims the Copilot+ PCs are 20 times more powerful and 100 times as efficient for running AI workloads, with industry-leading AI acceleration. Microsoft also claims that all the Copilot+ PCs outperform Apple’s MacBook Air 15″ by 58 per cent in sustained multithread performance.

Focus on security

All Copilot+ PCs will have the Microsoft Pluton Security processor enabled by default. There are a number of new features, updates and defaults in Windows 11 that make it easy for users to stay secured. Microsoft has built in personalised and granular privacy control options so users can protect what is more important for them. The PCs are secured with Windows Hello passkeys, that dodge the problems associated with passwords, providing users with easier and more secure sign-in options.