Microsoft's AI PC beginner's guide highlights branding confusion

Late last year Microsoft declared it was making "every Windows 11 PC an AI PC," yet a Windows Learning Center post titled "Best AI PC features to look for in 2026: A beginner's guide" offers a more specific definition. The post calls an AI PC "a computer built from the ground up to run artificial intelligence features directly on the device—not just in the cloud." The guide says AI PCs blend hardware, software, and operating system intelligence to deliver speed, long battery life, and built-in AI experiences, and contrasts that with a traditional PC that "follows your commands...

an AI PC anticipates your needs." It also reassures readers that "AI is not here to replace you" and is meant to assist by removing friction from everyday tasks. Microsoft frames AI PCs as machines powered by a "turbocharged neural processing unit (NPU)," and it sets out a further tier called Copilot+ PCs.

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