Copilot+ PCs – what are they and how they work?
The New Recipe: How Copilot+ PCs Work
In our last lesson, we talked about the importance of the Neural Processing Unit (NPU)—that specialized "mini-brain" for AI tasks. Copilot+ PCs are the first computers built around this concept from the ground up. They introduce a whole new system architecture that combines three key processors:
- The CPU (Central Processing Unit) for general day-to-day tasks.
- The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for graphics-intensive work like gaming and video.
- The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) specifically to handle AI and machine learning workloads with incredible speed and power efficiency.
This new hardware is incredibly powerful, capable of performing over 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). Think of TOPS as a measurement of raw AI horsepower. This massive power, combined with extreme efficiency, allows these PCs to run complex AI tasks all day while delivering exceptional battery life—up to 22 hours of local video playback on a single charge.
New AI Superpowers: What Copilot+ PCs Can Do
This new architecture isn't just about specs; it unlocks a set of powerful new AI experiences that run directly on the device, making them faster and more private than ever before.
- Recall: This feature gives your PC a "photographic memory." It takes snapshots of what you've seen and done, creating a personal, searchable timeline on your device. You can then find anything—a webpage, a document, a chat—just by describing what you remember about it. Your snapshots are stored locally on your PC, and you are always in control, with the ability to pause, delete, and filter content.
- Cocreator in Paint: You can now generate and refine AI images in near real-time directly on the device. Combine your own drawings with text prompts to create artwork that evolves as you iterate, without needing to wait for a cloud service.
- Live Captions with Translation: The PC can now translate audio from over 40 languages into English subtitles instantly and automatically. Because it's powered by the NPU, this can be done for any audio passing through your PC—live or pre-recorded—even while you're offline.
- Enhanced Windows Studio Effects: Your webcam and microphone get an AI upgrade. Features like Portrait light, artistic filters, and improved voice focus help you look and sound your best automatically.
Concept Spotlight: A Hybrid AI Approach
Copilot+ PCs don't just rely on on-device AI; they masterfully use a hybrid approach that combines the best of both the device and the cloud.
- On-Device AI: For tasks needing instant speed, privacy, and offline access, the PC uses its powerful NPU to run Small Language Models (SLMs) locally. This is how features like Recall and Live Captions work without sending your data to the internet.
- Cloud AI: For tasks that require the sheer power of a massive data center, the PC connects to the cloud. When you use the Copilot sidebar to access the latest models like GPT-4o, you are leveraging the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) running in Microsoft's Azure cloud.
This combination gives you the instant, private responsiveness of on-device AI for some tasks, and the immense power of cloud AI for others, offering a complete and intelligent experience.
Quick Check
What is the key piece of hardware in Copilot+ PCs that makes them so fast and efficient at running AI tasks locally?
Recap: Copilot+ PCs
What we covered:
- Copilot+ PCs are a new class of Windows computers with a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) designed specifically for AI.
- This new architecture enables exclusive on-device AI features like Recall, Cocreator, and Live Captions with translation, which are faster and more private.
- These PCs use a smart hybrid approach, running some AI tasks locally on the device and connecting to the cloud for others that require more power.
- This marks a fundamental shift in what a PC is, with major brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and of course, Microsoft Surface, launching these new devices.
Why it matters:
- The introduction of Copilot+ PCs signals that AI is no longer just an application you run, but a core part of the computer's operating system. This deep integration will change how we interact with our PCs, making them more personal, intelligent, and helpful assistants.
Next up:
- We'll look at how this AI integration extends beyond just the operating system and into the everyday applications we use with a lesson on AI in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.