Upcoming Windows 11 'AI Explorer' Feature to be Limited to Arm CPUs

Microsoft is preparing to launch the next version of Windows 11, which will be called 24H2 instead of Windows 12. The update will coincide with the launch of so-called AI PCs. The next version of Windows will include new AI-powered features such as AI Explorer, which will let you search your PC using natural language. According to a new report, the new feature will only be supported on Arm CPUs when it is announced on May 20. If this happens, it’ll be a massive blow to AMD and Intel.
Microsoft is currently testing Windows 11 24H2, so people in the wild are tinkering with it already. One of those users posted the system requirements for AI Explorer on X, which notes an Arm CPU will be required at launch. That can only mean Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite CPU, which will launch later this year. According to Windows Central, CPUs from Intel and AMD are excluded probably because the Snapdragon’s neural processing unit (NPU) is allegedly much more powerful than what its rivals are offering.
The site notes that the NPU baked into Intel’s Meteor Lake processors is around 10 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), with AMD’s being around 16 TOPS, while Qualcomm says its NPU offers 45 TOPS. Qualcomm has sent us similar numbers previously, confirming the Snapdragon’s NPU is at least 3X more powerful than its competitors. Previously, Intel had stated that 40 TOPS are required for a computer to be an “AI PC,” but that TOPS number is across the CPU, GPU, and NPU, whereas Qualcomm says it is covered by its NPU alone.
The system requirements were discovered in the RTM version of Windows 11, or “release to manufacturing,” so it’s pretty close to being final. However, we suppose it could change before the newest version of Windows 11 is released to the general public. If it doesn’t change, it’ll be embarrassing for AMD and Intel, which have been touting their hardware’s AI prowess with increasing frequency lately. Both companies want the AI leadership crown, but Qualcomm’s entry into the PC market could potentially disrupt those plans.
We will find out more on May 20, when Microsoft is expected to unveil updated Surface PCs with Arm-based processors from Qualcomm. Later this year, we expect the Snapdragon X Elite to arrive in Windows laptops as well.
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