Microsoft has recently upgraded its Copilot AI functionality, allowing it to handle various OS tasks such as batch file renaming, storage drive cleanup, and IP address retrieval. Impressive!
But what truly defines an AI PC? It’s not just the Copilot feature in Windows or the ‘AI’ hardware in your CPU. No, you also need a ‘Copilot’ button on your keyboard. Without it, even with advanced CPUs like Intel Meteor Lake or AMD Phoenix, your PC won’t be considered an AI PC.
These requirements come from Intel, as Microsoft has yet to officially define what makes an AI PC. According to Intel, you need new NPU, CPU, and GPU-powered silicon, Copilot in Windows 11, and the essential Copilot key on your keyboard to qualify as an AI PC.
The message is clear: without the Copilot key, laptops with advanced CPUs and Windows 11 still fall short of being AI PCs. The image of an AI PC is incomplete without this key.
Intel’s PC ecosystem head, Todd Lewellen, confirmed the alignment between Intel and Microsoft with Core Ultra, Copilot, and the Copilot key.
At CES, Dell applied makeshift Copilot stickers to its XPS laptops, raising the question of whether a sticker alone can transform a PC into an AI PC. And what if your Copilot key lacks the MS logo like alternative Github stickers?
The Copilot key replaces the menu/application key on a standard Microsoft keyboard. Even with a sticker and key mapping to Copilot, does your PC truly become an AI PC?
Ultimately, the debate over AI requirements in PCs may be more marketing-driven than practical. Having an NPU and access to an online LLM does not equate to a sentient PC capable of complex tasks. But for 50 cents, a sticker could be the cheapest AI upgrade ever!
