What are AI laptops? And do you really need one right now?
The year is 2024 and tech brands are throwing the words artificial intelligence (AI) like Oprah Winfrey gave out cars that one time.
Laptops and PCs in particular are frequent recipients of AI-related terms, such as ‘AI-ready’, ‘AI-enhanced’ and ‘AI-driven’. But what do all these really mean?
To understand this, we first need to determine what constitutes an AI laptop or PC. A simple and obvious explanation is that an AI laptop is one capable of handling AI tasks and applications. However, not all laptops – even the most expensive ones boasting flagship CPUs – have the necessary components to do so.
There are high-end CPUs that can handle basic AI tasks, but their performance can vary drastically depending on how optimized the CPUs are for AI workloads. Ultimately, though, one of the key determinants of an AI-capable laptop is the presence of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
What are NPUs?
Neural Processing Units (NPU) are dedicated processors designed solely to process AI algorithms, including deep learning and neural network tasks. NPUs and Central Processing Units (CPUs) typically go hand-in-hand; with the CPU handling a broad range of general tasks, and the NPU engaging solely on AI tasks. In fact, NPUs are often referred to as ‘AI accelerators’ because they take responsibility off the CPU in processing AI functions.
Your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) also plays an important part, especially if the AI tool relies heavily on visual data, such as for rendering images and videos.
As such, an AI laptop typically utilizes a CPU, GPU, and NPU, each powerful enough to run AI features. When a laptop is “AI-ready,”, it does not necessarily mean that it comes pre-installed with AI tools and functions. Instead, it indicates to consumers that it has the hardware (in this case, an NPU) to execute these AI features effectively when AI tools are installed.
How can I tell which laptops are AI-ready?
Take note of which laptops have NPUs
The easy answer is to find laptops with an NPU. However, not all NPUs are created equal, and it really comes down to which tech company does it better. Much like how AMD and Intel are always locking horns to deliver the best CPUs, there is the emergence of a new battleground over who can develop more efficient NPUs.
For consumer products such as laptops, NPUs are oftentimes integrated into the CPUs. Therefore, it’s important to take note of which processor series actually have an NPU built into them.
It’s still in its early days, but the big names currently at the forefront are AMD’s Ryzen AI Series, specific models in Intel’s Core Ultra Series, and of late, Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite platform, which is just making headway into the laptop market.
Look for laptops with large RAM and storage
Beyond just AI-enabled CPUs, there’s also a need for ample amounts of RAM and storage for the laptop to efficiently utilize the CPU’s processing power. With the few flagship AI laptops that have been launched so far, the trend seems to be moving towards at least 16GB of RAM paired with at least 512GB of storage.
At present, there are still AI-ready laptops with smaller RAM-storage configurations available at a far less exorbitant price. But as with all things on the lower end of the price scale, you can’t expect AI features to work as powerfully as they would on higher-end models.
Look for dedicated Copilot keys
One other trend that seems to be taking shape is the addition of a dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard. If you’re unfamiliar, Copilot is Microsoft’s generative AI chatbot integrated into Windows 11. You could say it’s Microsoft’s take on ChatGPT, with the bonus that its AI functions are incorporated into the Microsoft 365 suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc.). Certain functions of Copilot are free, with additional features available if you subscribe to its premium plan.
As such, a Copilot key allows users to access the AI software tool instantly with a tap on their keyboard.
At this moment, Acer and ASUS are among the first brands to adopt dedicated Copilot keys on their laptops. Microsoft too will add the Copilot key to their own products, namely the upcoming Surface Pro (11th Edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition). We can also Copilot key adoption to come from the likes of HP and Dell in the near future.
I don’t have an AI-ready laptop, but I can still run ChatGPT. How come?
By now, you’ve probably at least had a brush with ChatGPT, be it for work or just sheer curiosity. It seems to run fine, even though you’re using it on your crusty non-NPU five-year-old laptop. So then, do you still need a laptop with an NPU?
First and foremost, although ChatGPT has become somewhat synonymous with AI, it is not the only AI tool available. There are tons of AI tools out there specializing in various ranges of tasks, including image and video generation, security, face and voice recognition, and more.
While it’s true that ChatGPT uses AI, the bulk of AI-related processing happens in large data centers, which is then sent to the cloud, and retrieved by your laptop. Your laptop, in this case, is primarily only responsible for transmitting the data from those centers to your device, as opposed to performing the AI processing itself.
Where an NPU-integrated laptop really shines is when it is met with hardware-based AI features, such as offline virtual assistants, voice recognition, or live language translation, to name a few among the vast scope of AI tools out there.
For AI functions like these, an NPU laptop optimized for AI processing will have an advantage in running not just heavy AI tasks, but in battery performance too.
Do you really need an AI laptop right now?
With this knowledge in mind, it begs the question: do we really need an AI laptop right now?
In truth, despite the plentiful groundbreaking developments over the past year or so, AI is still in its early stages. It’s here, whether you like it or not, but it’s still on the horizon and hasn’t reached its full potential… yet.
Nevertheless, there are still pockets of people who will already benefit from AI, but it really depends on your usage. If you work in industries with heavy reliance on AI and machine learning tasks, then an AI laptop will benefit you immediately.
However, if most of your usage typically involves light tasks like web browsing, streaming, or even using the browser version of ChatGPT, then you can probably sit out the AI bandwagon for now.
That being said, the era of AI is approaching quickly, and gearing yourself up for when it actually takes over will put you in an advantageous position to capitalize. If you have the means for it, investing in an AI laptop now is always a good idea – not entirely necessary, but one which will put you in good stead for the future.
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