The AI Laptops trend is just starting, but there are already numerous controversy around it.
Since 2020, the AI boom has brought about what people would call “The new AI era”, with Large Language Model (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Dall-e made available to the public. While it was fun at first to try out different promts and requests for quick and diverse answers, AI tools have become smarter and capable of much more. And now, the tech giants are turning their eyes toward not only GenAI tools, but to intergrate various AI tools directly into their products with AI laptops.
As presented in their event on 20/05/2024, Microsoft has introduced some new features like Recall, CoCreator, Live Captions, and Windows Studio Effects in their new CoPilot+ PCs, a new category of Windows PCs for AI. All of which is made possible by a new hardware called neural processing unit (NPU).
Taking a look at an example, the Slim 7x laptop equipped with CoPilot+ PC from Lenovo which Hardware Canucks did a review video on. The initial impression was that it functioned exactly like a regular laptop. You got around 4 hours of heavy usage on the battery (editing, working, gaming, etc), the camera was mediocre, and the touchpad felt cheap. Though the design was beautiful, and the display was spot on.
What is more, when testing out the new AI features, apparently, the Recall feature, which was supposed to help you remember certain information on your PC, like having photographic memory, they took it back due to a huge backlash with privacy concerns. CoCreate is another function that helps you visualize your ideas by combining your ink strokes in Paint and Photos with text promts to generate new images. But again, the result was inferior to a free request from ChatGPT. And what might be the worst drawback of all is that you still have to be connected to the internet to use the AI tools, which defeat the whole purpose of a local on device AI.
In conclusion, the idea is very promising on paper, with vision of personal local AI tools that can assist you on a daily basis. But in reality, maybe we will have to wait for another 2 to 3 years before we see a significant impact from AI powered devices. For now, what do you think of this new technology? Leave a comment below!
References
Freedman, A. E. (2024, June 15). What is an AI PC and do you actually need one? Tom’s Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/what-is-an-ai-pc
Hardware Canucks. (2024, September 4). I Used a CoPilot+ PC for 30 Days. . .So you Don’t Have To [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UzedKsBww0
Sharma, B. (2024, May 21). AI laptops: What they are, how they work, and which ones to buy | Mint. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/technology/gadgets/ai-laptops-what-they-are-how-they-work-and-which-ones-to-buy-11716267806905.html
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 20). History of artificial intelligence. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_artificial_intelligence#:~:text=The%20field%20of%20AI%20research,during%20the%20summer%20of%201956.
Mehdi, Y. (2024, June 18). Introducing Copilot+ PCs – The Official Microsoft Blog. The Official Microsoft Blog. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/05/20/introducing-copilot-pcs/
