Microsoft claims that a tiny component will make Windows more intelligent in the future
Desktop and mobile operating systems are getting more and more AI features. Microsoft is bringing new features in the recently released Windows 11 2025 Update, but Google and Apple are also introducing more AI into their products and devices.
For Microsoft, Copilot+ PCs are just the beginning of a long journey that is making Windows more intelligent. A recent article on Microsoft's website highlights the current status quo of AI in Windows and at the future of Windows.
Neural processing units (NPU) power this new functionality. The chips are a main requirement for Copilot+ PCs, enabling at least 40 trillion operations per second for AI operations.
Windows devices without these chips are locked out of most AI features that Microsoft introduced in the past three or so years. The 2025 feature update alone introduced several new features, including AI actions in File Explorer, Click to Do functionality, and Agent in settings. The latter accepts natural language prompts, such as "how can I share Internet with other devices", to point out solutions and provide users with information.
That is certainly useful for users who are less experienced when it comes to configuring Windows, provided that the AI agent gets it right and does not suggest something that is totally unrelated to the query.
Microsoft: the future of Windows is AI
More interesting than the current status quo is the plan that Microsoft has for Windows going forward. Microsoft believes that AI agents could change how users interact with computers, which it says has not really changed much in the past 60 years. "Intelligent software assistants" will be able to understand user requests "and with their permission perform tasks on their behalf" in the future on Windows machines.
For that, NPUs are essential. They allow to run AI tasks locally, which should please privacy-conscious users who look at Internet-powered AI features with suspicion. Still, the majority of Windows PCs does not have a NPU yet. This is the case for most Windows 10 devices, an operating system that Microsoft will end support for in less than two weeks.
But many Windows 11 PCs also lack an NPU. When Microsoft released Windows 11, it did not roll out its Copilot+ PC program. The first generation of Windows 11 PCs therefore does not support most AI features that Microsoft is introducing in Windows.
This will change in the coming years, as the focus will be on Copilot+ compatible PCs, because more and more features of the operating system will require AI or at least offer features that work only with a NPU.
Now You: do you have a PC with a NPU already? Do you use AI features regularly? What is your prediction for Windows going forward?
Very late to this comment thread but…”Microsoft claims that a tiny component will make Windows more intelligent in the future”. Nadella’s replacement.
In your blog post you say something I’ve seen used too many times trying to dismiss real concerns about privacy when it comes to AI. “NPUs…. allow to run AI tasks locally, which should please privacy-conscious users who look at Internet-powered AI features with suspicion.”
I beg to differ.
In the Microsoft article, it clearly states: “The NPU allows for some local processing, which can then be used in conjunction with cloud processing that potentially allows for running larger models. When you are connected to the internet, the NPU can work in tandem with the cloud to deliver more extensive experiences.”
This sounds like no assurance of privacy at all! It certainly doesn’t make me feel “pleased” about my privacy prospects with Microsoft’s AI. :(
I would rather have a basic operating system that is reliable and meets my needs (Like Windows 7), rather than smart one that is riddled with bugs, exhibits regression, and contains unwanted features.
The way this translates to me is it will make the OS easier for people who aren’t very bright and just don’t care about anything and can’t figure out how to do basic things. The irony in this will be if the same people are actually dim enough that they can’t even figure out how to put that new functionality to good use and continue to struggle. I’m not antagonizing said people, just that Windows and other commercially popular products are aiming to please the lowest common denominator and it’s resulting in something bloated that not many people use or need. Of course, the decisions on Windows don’t concern me as I no longer use it, but for the period that I didn’t use it, all the news surrounding it make it feel like it’s not really becoming better or more exciting.
I want a stable OS that runs in the background, providing a space for my work and free time. I don’t need or desire a product that wastes processing time and energy to (second-)guess what I want and to babysit me. I still do not understand what kind of “user requests” Windows is supposed to listen to (so far it’s primitive stuff like changing a theme in settings) and what kind of end user cannot find his or her own files without advanced AI tools: These are the people who brought us Windows 8, based on a disconnection with reality, joining the next hype bubble. I recommend the IoT version.
Just make it optional too install with the default not installed. So that thise who want it can get it, and those that do not want added data harvesting do not.
Given that AI’s future usefulness is still very much a work in progress, and also that it’ll be a long time before I trust Windows to do anything “intelligent” for me, this has all the hallmarks of a nothingburger.
Yes, this has nothing to do with real intelligence. Microsoft wants Windows to be an AI OS. And this type of processor will make it possible sooner. I am not $100 anti AI. AI is useful if you can not figure out some question with regular search or want some custom data summary or chart. In Excel, AI is useful if you do not want to remember exact syntax of hundreds of formulas and micros. But making home AI PC is just a waste of money and resources. Sometimes ago, home PC industry came to the peak of usefulness, and now it is all the way downhill with excessive AI.