With the advent of Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 CPUs, the landscape of AI-infused Copilot+ PCs is expanding beyond the confines of Arm-powered laptops. This development marks a significant milestone, as these PCs now cater to a broader audience, offering enhanced capabilities with neural processing units (NPU) capable of executing an impressive 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). The new baseline specifications of at least 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are promising, suggesting that even users uninterested in AI will benefit from these advancements.
However, despite these hardware improvements, the Copilot+ PCs have yet to deliver on their transformative potential. The initial rollout featured a collection of modest enhancements in applications like Paint and Photos, alongside some webcam effects, but these offerings fall short of the revolutionary experience that was anticipated. A truly integrated AI experience would involve Windows actively assisting users by rewriting text across applications, summarizing content on-screen, or automating repetitive tasks. Unfortunately, such capabilities remain largely unrealized in the current iteration of Copilot+ PCs.
Windows needs to integrate AI better
The promise of Copilot+ PCs hinges on a more profound integration of AI within the Windows ecosystem. The initial features introduced were underwhelming, lacking the transformative impact that users expected. For the Copilot+ experience to resonate, it must evolve into a system that genuinely understands user behavior and proactively aids in task completion.
Privacy and choice need to be a priority
Another significant hurdle for Copilot+ PCs is the handling of privacy concerns, particularly surrounding the Windows Recall feature. Initially touted as a groundbreaking tool, Recall faced immediate backlash due to privacy implications, leading Microsoft to retract the feature and commit to redesigning it. For users to embrace Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft must prioritize transparency and user control from the outset, ensuring that privacy is not an afterthought but a foundational element of the user experience.
Copilot needs to work offline (somehow)
The current functionality of the Copilot AI assistant is limited, as it requires an internet connection to access its features. This limitation undermines the potential of Copilot+ PCs, as users expect a seamless experience regardless of connectivity. To fulfill the promise of enhanced productivity, Microsoft should explore ways to enable offline capabilities for Copilot, allowing users to leverage AI assistance without relying on constant internet access.
AI image features need to work offline, too
Similarly, the generative image capabilities offered by Copilot+ PCs are constrained by the requirement for an internet connection. While the system’s NPU is designed to facilitate local image generation, the necessity of signing in with a Microsoft account and sending images to the cloud for safety checks diminishes the appeal of these features. Users would benefit from a more autonomous experience that allows for local processing without the need for constant online verification.
Image generation models need to catch up
The generative image models currently available on Copilot+ PCs lag behind their cloud-based counterparts, which deliver superior quality and performance. To remain competitive, Microsoft must enhance the capabilities of its local image generation tools, ensuring they can stand toe-to-toe with leading cloud solutions like OpenAI’s DALL-E 3. Without significant improvements, users may find little incentive to utilize the built-in features when superior options are readily available elsewhere.
AI features should support NPUs and GPUs
As the focus on NPUs continues, it’s essential not to overlook the potential of GPUs, particularly in gaming laptops. While NPUs excel in efficiency, GPUs still offer unparalleled performance for running local AI applications. By excluding powerful gaming laptops from the Copilot+ designation, Microsoft risks alienating a significant segment of the market that could benefit from AI-enhanced features.
Desktop PCs and gaming laptops should also be Copilot+ PCs
Currently, the Copilot+ designation is limited to thin-and-light laptops, leaving desktop PCs and gaming laptops out of the equation. As the demand for diverse computing solutions grows, it’s crucial for manufacturers like Intel and AMD to develop processors that cater to a wider range of form factors. The future of Copilot+ PCs should encompass all types of devices, ensuring that users can enjoy AI-enhanced experiences regardless of their hardware preferences.
Apps need to use that Copilot runtime
For Copilot+ PCs to realize their full potential, applications must leverage the Windows Copilot Runtime, which integrates AI models directly into the operating system. However, the current lack of applications utilizing this runtime highlights a significant gap in the ecosystem. Microsoft must incentivize developers to create software that capitalizes on these unique features, fostering an environment where Copilot+ PCs can thrive.
Bonus: The prices need to come down
Lastly, the pricing of Copilot+ PCs remains a barrier to widespread adoption. Currently, these devices are positioned as high-end products, making them inaccessible to many potential users. To encourage broader acceptance and stimulate software development for these systems, prices must decrease significantly. A more affordable entry point would not only benefit consumers but also create a more vibrant ecosystem for developers and users alike.
