Once called the Mobile World Congress and now rebranded as MWC, this trade show used to draw us in with the heyday of Windows Phone. Fast forward to today, and it has transformed into a comprehensive event where top PC manufacturers flaunt their latest mix of enterprise and consumer tech under one roof.
Intel’s massive booth is the exhibition’s heart and my main interest, proudly displaying its new AI PC lineup. This is powered by the cutting-edge Lunar Lake mobile processors, which I got a sneak peek of last year in Taiwan, and their successors, the Arrow Lake series.
## Intel’s Mission: Making AI Accessible to Everyone
I couldn’t help but be impressed by what Intel has achieved with its mobile processors. The Core Ultra Series 2, in particular, delivers what feels like more than just a standard upgrade in efficiency and battery life compared to its predecessor, the Meteor Lake.
In my journey through the event, I delved into the Xeon 6 platform, targeting data centers. A riveting conversation ensued with Craig Raymond, Intel’s AI PC demo expert. We discussed the unique appeal of AI in daily consumer tech, echoing each other’s passion for this field. Our dialogue revolved around identifying the elusive “killer AI app” that would captivate users at MWC. Raymond showcased agentic AI and Intel’s strides with OpenVINO, a robust suite featuring plugins and access to local large language models (LLMs).
We both concurred that local processing power, driven by processors’ embedded neural units—like those from Intel—might just be the missing link for AI to break free from the usual consumer misbeliefs.
## Misunderstanding AI PCs
My quest at MWC was clear: identify what could convince consumers of AI PCs’ revolutionary potential. Approaching each company with the mindset of translating tech jargon for everyday users like my parents, I aimed to break down complex terms. They aren’t strangers to technology, yet they aren’t knee-deep into it like I am. For them, bombarded by ever-evolving acronyms and ads, tech terms like “TOPS” are mystifying.
Microsoft, for instance, has set a 40 TOPS minimum for Copilot+ PCs. But shouldn’t assume they’d learn about “tera operations per second,” despite being inundated with Copilot ads. For my family, AI mainly triggers thoughts of generative models like DALL-E, feeding fears about deepfake scams. As a result, “AI” carries negative connotations, far removed from factors like laptop efficiency—something companies like Intel are working to change.
## AI PCs: Blending into the Norm
Intel’s work on AI PCs has driven a ‘Great Reset’ in the Windows PC market, as described by my editor-in-chief, Daniel Rubino. But I foresee a future where this category becomes less distinct, not due to lack of significance, but because this tech evolution will become standard. With CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs in processors, the prospect of non-AI PCs will seem obsolete.
David Feng from Intel aptly summarizes, “We don’t think we’ll need to talk about ‘AI PCs’ because they’ll just be PCs—a new definition.” Local AI computation, prevalent in CPUs and GPUs over the years, has only recently gained substantial attention due to NPUs’ energy efficiency and AI task handling capabilities.
## The AI PC Is the Killer App
At MWC, I realized no single app would lead to AI PCs’ widespread adoption. Instead, empowering users with secure, local AI without cloud reliance could be transformative through numerous apps.
PC companion apps, like myHP and Lenovo’s Vantage, are tapping into AI for user-friendly features like integrated manual resources. As Cory McElroy from HP articulates, the evolution won’t hinge on a grand app but rather a gradual realization, “I don’t ever want to be back on a non-AI PC.”
Major brands are channeling their enterprise might into refining AI tech from the server to consumer level. While some wonder what their NPU accomplishes, answer lies in AI-enhanced features, improving experiences like battery efficiency over time.
Until then, no lone app defines AI PCs. AI’s impact will gradually embed itself into our everyday tech, subtly enhancing performance until it becomes an unsung standard.
