Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and AMD have been pushing the idea of an “artificial intelligence computer” for months as we move toward more AI-powered features in Windows. While we’re still waiting to hear the finer details from Microsoft about its big plans for AI in Windows, Intel has begun sharing Microsoft’s requirements for OEMs to build AI PCs — and one of the main ones is that the AI PC must have Microsoft’s Copilot Key.
Microsoft wants its OEM partners to provide a combination of hardware and software for its AI computing idea. This includes a system that comes with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), the latest CPUs and GPUs, and access to Copilot. They will also need to have the new Copilot key that Microsoft announced earlier this year.
This requirement means that some laptops, like Asus’s new ROG Zephyrus, already ship with Intel’s new Core Ultra chips and aren’t technically AI PCs in the eyes of Microsoft’s strict requirements because they don’t have a Copilot dongle. But they’re still AI computers in Intel’s eyes.
“We have harmonized our joint definition, Intel and Microsoft, on Core Ultra, Copilot and Copilot key,” explains Todd Lewellen, head of the PC ecosystem at Intel, in a press conference with The Verge. “From Intel’s perspective, our AI computer has a Core Ultra and has an integrated NPU because it unlocks all kinds of new capabilities and functions in the AI space. We’re perfectly aligned with Microsoft, but there will be some systems that may not have a physical key but have our integrated NPU.”
I’m sure both Intel and Microsoft are hoping that the OEMs will simply comply with Microsoft’s requirements and eventually add the Copilot key, and it’s possible that the Asus machines simply shipped before Microsoft was ready with its new requirements. Dell literally put a Copilot sticker on its keyboards at CES earlier this year, suggesting that Microsoft’s Copilot dongle may have been a late addition to its CES plans.
It’s still unclear what OEMs will get in return for adhering to Microsoft’s own AI PC definition. I reached out to Microsoft for comment on its claims, but the company is yet to discuss its plans for AI computers. Microsoft put AI PC branding on its latest Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 business devices earlier this month, but it’s not yet clear if there will be laptop stickers or additional marketing budgets for OEMs.
In addition to the AI computing requirements, Intel is also expanding its AI computing acceleration program that it launched in October. It was designed to get software developers interested in AI-powered features for their applications, and is now expanding to reach smaller developers through the AI PC Developer Program.
Intel will host events throughout the year with hands-on time to help developers get used to using AI models and tools, and there’s even an AI PC hardware development kit that’s essentially an ASUS NUC Pro 14 with pre-installed software, drivers and tool development programs.
Hopefully this focus on developers will translate into many more applications using this new NPU hardware. Currently, there aren’t many applications that do this, with Microsoft’s Windows Studio Effects for blurring the background in video calls and maintaining eye contact the main use of the NPU within Windows today.
Intel is also targeting hardware vendors with this AI PC acceleration program, trying to get them to optimize and enable their hardware for Intel’s AI PCs. Essentially, it’s a race for Intel to get as many software and hardware developers on its side as possible to optimize applications and hardware as these AI computers emerge. This year, the race is against Qualcomm, which is preparing to launch the Snapdragon X Elite series of laptops that could offer a big leap in performance for Windows on Arm.
Google is even releasing an optimized version of its Chrome browser for Windows on Arm this week, in a significant change of heart that will greatly improve the experience for Chrome users on Qualcomm’s Windows laptops. Microsoft is rumored to switch exclusively to Arm for its consumer versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Microsoft will hold an AI and Surface event on May 20, where CEO Satya Nadella will outline the company’s vision for AI hardware and software.