AI is being integrated into computing at every level. But there’s a preconception today that AI can only operate via the cloud and needs public information to run. With that comes the perception of AI as expensive, cumbersome and prone to releasing proprietary information online or vice versa — i.e., repeating information from the web that it shouldn’t. But AI on the client can help address some of those problems.
What is an AI PC ecosystem?
The AI PC ecosystem is a new generation of personal computer with dedicated AI acceleration.
Intel’s AI PC Acceleration Program was designed specifically to support it. First created in October 2023, the programme is an initiative to enable artificial intelligence on 100 million PCs through 2025, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. The programme encourages compatibility, support and open standards through co-created AI-accelerated features. This global innovation initiative connects independent hardware and software vendors with Intel resources, including:
- AI toolchains.
- Co-engineering.
- Hardware.
- Design resources.
- Technical expertise.
- Co-marketing opportunities.
Features of the AI PC
Running AI on a PC can enhance productivity, collaboration and security. Intel Core Ultra processors that support Intel vPro, launched recently at Mobile World Congress, have the power to run and accelerate new capabilities, such as threat detection and speech to language conversion, and maximise AI and machine learning application performance.
For security, AI can add anti-phishing, memory scanning, security machine learning on device and ransomware detection. It helps make sure your security team knows exactly what to focus on and frees them up to truly concentrate on the most critical assets and most dangerous threats.
Machine learning applications for business purposes have been around for a long time, but Intel’s generative AI workloads and XPU strategy is different, with the Core Ultra processor able to allocate workloads to the NPU, CPU or GPU depending on the task. Content creation also becomes easier with AI. Edit videos, render animations and add text-to-image or text-to-audio effects with greater ease.
What makes an AI PC different
The AI PC sets itself apart in three major ways:
- Acceleration of AI tasks.
- Acceleration of conventional tasks using AI tools.
- AI model deployment for developers.
Acceleration of AI tasks
Recognising that certain user tasks run better on different processor cores, Intel Core Ultra’s 3D performance architecture combines NPU, CPU and GPU capabilities in one package, accelerating the speed of AI-powered tasks. The GPU parallelizes data-intensive computational AI tasks, making data-intensive tasks like training neural networks more achievable. The CPU is there for sequential data, complex branching or low-latency inference. NPUs run sustained workloads for power-efficient AI inferencing.
Intel Core Ultra processors provide up to 2.2 times AI performance generation-over-generation for video editing. 1
Acceleration of conventional tasks using AI tools
Popular AI tools and frameworks can be accelerated and optimised for faster performance with Intel. Intel’s own AI tools can take advantage of the hardware architectures and instruction sets in heterogeneous processing engines to run more smoothly. Developers can use these to work with their existing code and framework as they develop AI on the PC and then seamlessly migrate to the cloud.
AI model deployment for developers
Intel makes AI model deployment easier for developers in two major ways. First, the Intel distribution of the OpenVINO Toolkit helps serve deep learning and AI deployments. Second, Microsoft’s DirectML machine learning tool is optimised for Intel CPUs and GPUs.
Intel offers pretrained models, optimizations for popular industry frameworks and their partner ecosystem to help developers get customised AI models up and running. More effective model deployment means faster innovation in AI products for customers. In turn, that could trickle down to better business outcomes and improved ROI for the organisation as a whole, helping developers prove their successes to other business stakeholders.
Benefits of the Intel powered AI PC
Intel Core Ultra is Intel’s most significant architecture update in 40 years, changing the way business end users work and ushering in the age of the AI PC. The Intel powered AI PCs utilising Intel vPro offer numerous benefits to enterprise and business customers: increased security, lower latency, offline AI and swift performance.
Intel provides up to 3.4 times better AI performance on laptops using Intel Core Ultra compared to laptops using AMD’s Ryzen 7. 2
In addition, they can enable real-time language translation, automation inferencing and performance boosts for cybersecurity platforms like CloudStrike, in which the NPU accelerates detection and investigation of possible threats.
Running AI on a PC with Intel Core Ultra can also be faster and more secure than running AI on the cloud or through slow hardware that will quickly drain laptop batteries.
Intel-powered AI PCs let your business offer the most up-to-date products and services, unlock creative work in ways that were never before possible, and complete projects at the pace of the cutting edge.
Intel vPro for IT and security professionals
Intel’s vPro Platform brings AI features for IT and professionals, too. The platform offers AI experiences, premium connectivity solutions and extended battery life. Security with the Intel vPro Platform has Intel’s Threat Detection Technology (Intel TDT) below the OS, providing AI-based security to reduce the impact of threats and improve the efficiency of the security team.
Conclusion
Intel has enabled the AI PC to support innovation in software and first-party solutions, which in turn trickles down to productivity and innovation for the organisations that use them. Intel Core Ultra for business provides increased productivity, reliability and power efficiency when using the latest AI software and hardware.
When paired with the Intel vPro platform, AI PCs provide a solution built for business.
Explore more about AI PCs built for business powered by Intel.
1 This statistic is based on Intel’s comparison to competition processors as of February 2024, taking into account compatibility, software options, architecture and performance. AI features may require additional purchase or specific compatibility requirements.
2 Intel tested an Intel Core Ultra 7 165U processor PL1=15W with 12 cores running on an Intel internal development system against an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U-PRO with 8 cores running in an HP Elitebook 845 G10 in Feb 2024.