Microsoft to introduce local AI processing for Copilot on next-gen PCs

Microsoft's Copilot AI service is gearing up for a significant upgrade, as it prepares to transition from cloud-based operations to local processing on PCs, according to information from Intel shared with Tom's Hardware.

The move is expected to bring faster response times and potentially enhanced privacy for users.

To support this transition, next-generation AI PCs will require neural processing units (NPUs) capable of delivering over 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This level of processing power exceeds the capabilities of consumer-grade processors, requiring the integration of specialized hardware components.

While Windows has yet to fully utilize NPUs, other operating systems like ChromeOS and macOS have already embraced their potential for various tasks such as video and audio processing, OCR, translation, and live transcription.