New Windows laptops called Copilot+ PC will revolutionize the way we use a computer. Using an NPU and language models running locally, Windows now supports generative AI functions natively.
Microsoft has just announced a new range of Windows laptops: the Copilot+ PC. Optimized for artificial intelligence and natively embedding generative AI functions, these computers “mark the most significant change to Windows in decades”, assures the American publisher. The promises and the ambition displayed are in any case very high. Microsoft does not hesitate to compare itself to Apple, claiming up to 58% more performance on complex parallel tasks for Copilot+ PCs compared to a MacBook Air.
“We are taking a new step by integrating AI directly into the heart of the PC: we have completely redesigned the PC, from the processor to the operating system, from the application layer to the cloud”, explains the company. These new Copilot+ PCs are based on a revamped architecture, which no longer relies only on the CPU and GPU duo, but also on a neural processing unit (NPU). The NPU combines large language models (LLMs) running on the Azure cloud with small language models (SLMs) available on-premises to provide an AI experience described as revolutionary.
Generative AI at your fingertips
Generative AI platforms have multiplied in recent months. To stand out, Microsoft wants to incorporate this type of functionality directly into Windows. The first major new feature of Copilot+ PC is Recall. This option should make it possible to find content (a file, an email, a visited website) more easily and intuitively. A timeline allows you to trace your activity on the PC, whether on an application, on a website, or on a document.
Recall also offers action suggestions based on object recognition. To power this function, the system will take numerous screenshots during your activity, which are used to populate the timeline. It is possible to exclude certain applications and websites from Recall, delete captures or all captures taken within a given time range, and pause everything from an icon located in the system tray of the taskbar.
The other big generative AI option is Cocreator, an AI-assisted image creation and editing tool. The user can thus create or modify an image from prompts directly in their editing software, while continuing to benefit from its functionalities. Paint and Photos are compatible, but also various third-party applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Express or DaVinci Resolve Studio.
A creativity slider allows you to choose from several proposals, from the most down-to-earth to the most original. Thanks to the NPU and powerful small language models that run locally on the PC, Microsoft makes image generation much more efficient than online services.
The first Copilot+ PCs are coming very soon
The Copilot+ PCs will also access Live Captions, a real-time translation function. All audio streams output from your PC can be converted into subtitles, which are instantly displayed on the screen, even when using a third-party application. For now, subtitles are generated only in English, but more than 40 languages are supported for the audio source.
During a video call, Light portrait will use AI to automatically adjust lighting and improve the image when light is lacking. The Copilot+ PCs also feature a new Copilot keyboard key, used to invoke the AI assistant. A new Copilot application has been developed for the occasion. OpenAI’s latest GPT-4o model will soon be available via Copilot.
The new ones Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are Microsoft’s first Copilot+ PC laptops. They will be available on June 18 from 1,199 euros for pre-order. From this date, Copilot+ PCs from other brands will also be launched: the Acer Swift 14 AI 5K, the Asus Vivobook S 15, the Dell XPS 13, Inspiron 14 Plus, Inspiron 14, Latitude 7455, and Latitude 5455 , the HP OmniBook
Source: Microsoft