Microsoft ushers in a new era of 'Copilot Plus PCs' with AI at the forefront

Microsoft has unveiled "Copilot Plus PCs," a new category of laptops with integrated AI hardware and software features across the Windows 11 operating system. This initiative, announced by CEO Satya Nadella at an event on Monday, signifies a major push by the tech giant to bring the power of artificial intelligence to everyday computing.

All major laptop manufacturers, including Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, HP, Acer, and Asus, are on board to offer Copilot Plus PCs, along with Microsoft's own Surface line. While Microsoft is simultaneously promoting Arm-based processors for Windows laptops, Nadella emphasised that AI capabilities will be available on laptops with Intel and AMD chips as well.

The heart of these AI-powered laptops is a dedicated neural processor. This processor enables features like "Recall," which leverages AI to create a searchable "photographic memory" of everything users do and see on their PC. Over 40 AI models will run in the background of Windows 11 to power these new features. Additionally, Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant will now integrate OpenAI’s cutting-edge GPT-4o model.

Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's head of Windows, boasted performance gains with the new laptops, claiming they are "58 percent faster" than a MacBook Air with an M3 processor and deliver "all-day" battery life. However, it remains unclear whether these performance metrics apply to all Copilot Plus PCs or only those with Arm-based processors.

To ensure optimal performance, Copilot Plus PCs will have specific hardware requirements, including a minimum of 256GB SSD, an integrated neural processor, and 16GB of RAM. Arm-based models with Qualcomm chips are estimated to offer "up to 15 hours of web browsing" on a single charge.

Microsoft confidently projects sales of 50 million Copilot Plus PCs within the next year. This ambitious goal underlines their belief that these AI-infused laptops represent a pivotal shift in the Windows ecosystem.

“Today is kind of a special day. We get to reimagine the platform that fuels our work and passion ... on a new category of PCs,” Mehdi declared at the event.

The initial wave of Copilot Plus PCs, powered by Qualcomm processors, will hit the market on June 18. Models featuring Intel and AMD processors are expected to follow later.