Microsoft unveils new PCs with Qualcomm AI processors

Microsoft is promoting new PCs with cutting-edge CPUs that can run Windows software with artificial intelligence capabilities without rapidly depleting the battery.

The company on Monday announced Surface laptops and Surface Pro tablets equipped with Qualcomm chips that can perform some AI tasks without an internet connection. Other computer manufacturers, including Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, and Samsung, are also releasing AI-enabled PCs featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors, which promise longer battery life, and Microsoft’s Copilot AI – Chatbot is running.

Device makers plan to launch PCs with AMD and Intel chips that comply with the Copilot+ standard at a later date, he said at a press conference at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, campus. Your PC can also translate audio, reply to incoming messages, suggest changes in the Settings app, and have conversations with others about what you see on your screen.

Copilot+ PC prices start at $999. Microsoft began accepting pre-orders on Monday, and the device is expected to be released in June.

Callback function allows searching logs of previous actions on the PC. Recall is based on an AI model that runs directly on your device, so it can run offline and no index of your data is sent to a remote server. AI models will be able to generate images based on written descriptions, not just drawings.

Microsoft is relying on Qualcomm’s energy-efficient Arm-based chips that can process AI models to protect its Windows series. Apple is gaining market share in PC shipments with its MacBooks powered by Arm-based chips, moving away from Intel, the leading supplier of computer processors.

Microsoft is expanding its efforts to bring ChatGPT-like features to consumer and business users. Microsoft-backed OpenAI released its ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022, which gained attention as a tool for quickly getting computer-generated poems, email drafts, and summaries of historical events.

Other major technology companies, including Microsoft, soon began adding generative AI to their products. Copilot chatbot, based on ChatGPT’s underlying AI model, has been introduced to the Bing search engine with Windows 10 and 11 operating systems. For an additional fee, those with a subscription to Office productivity software can have their co-pilot view documents and receive written responses.

ChatGPT’s GPT-4 model performed only the necessary computational work in Microsoft’s Azure cloud. Newer PCs can run some AI models locally without an internet connection.

The announcement comes nearly four months after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told analysts on an earnings call that “AI will be a major part of every PC by 2024.”

Microsoft had little success in popularizing Arm-based Windows computers, which did not always perform as well as PCs with Intel or AMD chips. Certain applications were not compatible.

When generated AI runs locally, the computer requires more power and long battery life becomes more important. This could make Windows on Arm even more appealing.

Morgan Stanley analysts expect Arm systems to account for 14% of all Windows PC shipments in 2026, up from 0% in 2023, according to a memo distributed to customers earlier this month.

Microsoft shares closed 1.2% higher at $425.34 on Monday afternoon, just shy of the record set in March. Qualcomm rose 2% to $197.76, its highest closing price on record.