A key moment for PCs – Microsoft, Qualcomm and partners demonstrate the capabilities of CoPilot+ GenAI

• Microsoft and its partners aim to completely redefine the PC experience by rebuilding Windows to integrate native CoPilot agents powered by generative AI technology at every layer.
• The stars are aligning for Microsoft to significantly transform the PC experience with advances in semiconductors thanks to its partnership with Qualcomm.
• Microsoft announced CoPilot+, which builds on cloud-based CoPilot and CoPilot Pro to deliver on-device native GenAI experiences powered by models (SLM, LLM, LM) running in the background.

PCs are one of the categories of electronics that are still called desktop computers, as opposed to devices such as phones, watches and TVs, which have transitioned to smartphones, smartwatches and smart TVs. This has been possible thanks to years of research and development in software, artificial intelligence and smart applications that help these devices disrupt the market. On the other hand, the PC has been relegated to a traditional office device with limited intelligence or “intelligence”.

This year, however, PCs are experiencing a pivotal moment in becoming more intelligent. Microsoft and its partners aim to completely redefine the PC experience by rebuilding Windows to integrate native AI-powered CoPilot agents at every layer, all of which are fully optimized for the silicon underneath. These AI-based generative applications will provide advanced silicon in the form of compute and memory that is not only high performance, enabling over 40 TOPS computations powered by the NPU together with the CPU, GPU and advanced memory (min. 16 GB DRAM, 256 GB SSD), but also very energy efficient.

The stars are aligned for Microsoft with the right partners – Qualcomm and OpenAI

This is where the use of ARM-based silicon solved the PC power efficiency issues we saw with Apple’s M-series Silicon. However, Qualcomm has overtaken Apple, Intel and AMD to secure the leadership in low-power computing with ARM-based designs, along with years of experience and intellectual property related to AI Engine and the acquisition of Nuvia, to redesign compute silicon for the next… generation of AI PC, or what Microsoft calls the CoPilot+ computer.

The stars are aligning for Microsoft to bring radical changes to the PC experience thanks to advances in semiconductors thanks to its partnership with the company Qualcommthat will help you design a completely differentiated, intelligent and powerful PC integrated with Microsoft’s own artificial intelligence knowledge and experience and partnership with Microsoft OpenAI to have a great answer for Apple Mac computers.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite platforms, which are purpose-built for next-generation AI PCs, are the only chipsets that at launch support more than 20 designs from seven of the world’s largest PC OEMs. Intel and AMD are lagging behind and will introduce more x86-based CoPilot+ designs later this year. However, this is a significant victory and Qualcomm’s entry into the PC space, completely redefining the competitive landscape with a solid offering.

Unlocking powerful, native, intelligent solutions and more

Microsoft announced CoPilot+, which builds on cloud-based CoPilot and CoPilot Pro to deliver on-device native GenAI experiences powered by models (SLM, LLM, LM) running in the background. Data does not leave your computer, which increases privacy and security. CoPilot agents are built on OpenAI’s GPT4.

Some of the experiences presented by Microsoft are compelling and show how GenAI can power new use cases, automation and multiple assistants to increase productivity, creativity and security. Every Microsoft CoPilot+ PC is secured out of the box with the Pluton security processor and deeply integrated with personalized privacy controls. Some of the native CoPilot+ solutions unveiled by Microsoft include:

Remembering something: This is CoPilot+’s flagship feature that uses a “personal semantic index”, giving your computer “photographic memory”, remembering every action, content and settings in any application, website or document stored on your device. This is done through over 40 artificial intelligence models that are always running in the background, taking snapshots of information to build a timeline and retrieve information quickly and intuitively when asked.

This is GenAI’s flagship feature that showcases the power of AI-powered semantic search and information retrieval that is highly personalized, private and intuitive, helping users save time and energy.

Contribute to: This is another native GenAI-powered CoPilot+ feature built into specific applications such as Paint, where freehand strokes or text input can help generate images in near real-time, helping you brainstorm or express ideas, art and creativity. Here’s a peek at AI-powered photo editing and styling capabilities that, when scaled with more context, intelligence and creativity, can help you generate stunning graphics and memories in seconds.

Live captions: This is another important GenAI feature in CoPilot+. Supports real-time live translations as audio continuously streams through your computer across all applications. English subtitles can be translated into over 40 languages ​​and vice versa, in live or pre-recorded format, without the need for the Internet, and everything on the device is powered by the magical DSP processors located in the NPU.

Growing experience of native partners

Several announcements have been made about native ARM64 solutions, in addition to native Microsoft applications such as Chrome, Spotify, Zoom, WhatsApp, Blender, Affinity Suite, and Slack. Many of them, such as Adobe Suite, CapCut, Cephable, Camo, DaVinci Resolve, djay Pro LiquidText, and Luminar Neo, leverage the powerful NPU 40 TOPS+ technology to create multiple native GenAI experiences in their applications.

Microsoft also announced Prism, a more powerful emulator for running native or x86 applications more efficiently and smoothly. This should be a pivotal moment for the Windows-on-Arm ecosystem to successfully compete with Windows-on-x86’s dominance.

The new Microsoft Surface portfolio includes CoPilot+ computers

Microsoft has redesigned the new Surface and Surface Pro lineup with the Snapdragon X Elite platform as CoPilot+ computers. Good refresh and lots of “firsts” specs.

Shows: 12.8″ to 15″ with Surface Pro equipped for the first time with an OLED HDR display, 120 Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision IQ

Processors: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Elite Plus

Communication: Wi-Fi7/5G, two USB4 ports supporting three external 4K displays

Accessories: The new Surface Pro Keyboard can be used in both connected and disconnected modes, with the CoPilot key. It includes the new Surface Slim Pen and a silent touchpad.

Prospects and possibilities of AI computers

• CoPilot+ fundamentally changes the way users interact with computers. This makes their experiences more intelligent, contextual and meaningful. This positions Microsoft and its ecosystem as a unique position in the market, especially compared to Apple.
• As CoPilot+ expands to enterprise desktops, GenAI models will not only increase productivity in core applications such as Microsoft Office, Azure AI and Dynamics CRM, but also in partner solutions such as Adobe, Cognizant, IBM, ServiceNow and Amdocs.
• By integrating CoPilot+, enterprises can expect improved workflows, smarter task management and better collaboration, ultimately driving greater innovation and productivity.
• According to our AI PC Tracker, GenAI-enabled laptops will account for more than three-quarters of laptops shipped in 2027.
• As a result, the value of semiconductor content in the PC segment will also almost double by 2027.
• Microsoft’s announcements show how users will experience PCs that will be more intelligent, contextual and meaningful, taking creativity, productivity and use to another level.
• Ahead of Apple’s WWDC in June, this is a very significant difference between Microsoft and its ecosystem and Apple. At this point, we believe Qualcomm should be the primary growth driver for Arm PCs along with GenAI capabilities in the short to medium term.

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