What is an AI-powered computer and why is it gaining popularity?
What exactly is an ‘AI PC’? This term has been circulating online recently, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to dominate discussions. Although AI has been around since 1956 and has been in development for years, it wasn’t until the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 that the technology truly took off. This natural language chatbot, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), has sparked a new era and could potentially lead to the fifth major revolution in human history.
The world’s largest technology companies, such as Microsoft, Google, Adobe and Samsung, are now adopting artificial intelligence, and it is not only embedded in software services, but also in hardware. Smartphones also have artificial intelligence, and Google and Samsung are pioneers. Oh, and if you’ve been thinking that AI is all about software, you might want to take another look at the latest tech trends.
This AI resurgence has led to the development of unique AI-powered devices such as the futuristic Humane Ai Pin and the Pokedex-like Rabbit R1, both of which aim to firmly anchor this technology in our lives, much like the smartphone revolution of the 21st century. . While not quite on the same level yet (as MKBHD’s controversial but understandable take makes clear), these devices offer a glimpse into a future that may well have AI at the center.
This AI revolution has also led to high demand for AI chips – processors designed specifically for AI-related applications. Companies like Intel and Nvidia have seen high demand for these AI chips, leading to huge sales and big profits. Although these chips have various applications, the most common one is in artificial intelligence computers. But what are these devices?
What are AI PCs?
These have become very popular since Intel released its 14th generation Meteor Lake processors last year, introducing the world to “AI PCs”, a potential paradigm shift in the PC world. The term “AI PC” itself is a dead giveaway with two syllables, AI stands for Artificial Intelligence and PC stands for Personal So it must be a computer with embedded AI, right? While that’s true, it’s only scratching the surface. Now, according to Intel, who coined the term, artificial intelligence computers are a new generation of personal computers that meet two conditions:
1. Microsoft Copilot must come with a separate Copilot key
2. It must be powered by a CPU with a GPU and NPU (New Intel Ultra chips for short)
How do artificial intelligence computers differ from current computers?
While you can also use AI on your existing computers, most of these features are cloud-based. This means that while you can run AI-based apps on your devices without taking up too much space, they have many limitations. First of all, the performance of the app will vary depending on your internet connection and latency. Oh, and there are also privacy concerns, especially for larger companies, because everything goes through a cloud server.
On the other hand, AI PCs offer all the features of the device. Although these devices may not be able to process such large amounts of data, the processing is fast and takes place safely on the device itself. This removes obstacles such as latency. These devices have an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to ensure that the processor is not overloaded with AI tasks. Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, NPUs optimize algorithms and their architectures are tailored to handle neural network calculations. This speeds up the processing of tasks related to artificial intelligence, reduces the load on the processor and GPU, and increases not only efficiency but also performance.
What are artificial intelligence computers used for?
That’s the million dollar question. While NPU-equipped AI computers may sound like high-tech, are there uses for it in everyday life? Well, that depends. Although the technology is still in its infancy, several significant uses have already been found for AI research and development and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Currently, AI computers are used to run AI-powered applications that crunch numbers and sift through data. In addition, they are also used to drive generative AI programs such as Stable Diffusion, Anthropic’s Claude, and OpenAI’s Sora. On the other hand, these devices have built-in Microsoft Copilot, the company’s AI chatbot. This means you can talk to an AI chatbot and ask it to perform tasks locally on your computer, such as summarizing web pages, without having to connect to the cloud. While it still requires an internet connection (and a subscription to Copilot Pro to boost functionality), it’s certainly miles better than Cortana, Microsoft’s dreaded voice assistant.
So are artificial intelligence computers the future? We do not know. But the rapid development of the field of artificial intelligence certainly creates an interesting picture of the future, where it is possible that Star Trek-meets-Back-to-the-Future reality without the associated apocalyptic ideas.
