Microsoft has announced a new wave of artificial intelligence features under the name "Hybrid Intelligence" for the Windows 11 operating system, aiming to provide AI PCs with broader capabilities by integrating local device processing with cloud computing.
This move comes after a period of stagnation in rolling out exclusive features for Neural Processing Units (NPU) since the launch of those computers, as these new technologies will integrate directly into the Copilot application to intelligently direct and distribute AI tasks as needed.
What does Hybrid Intelligence technology offer?
The new features expected to be rolled out in the coming few months include several key aspects:
- Local Context: Copilot's ability to understand relevant content on the computer, including files and recent activity, with prior permission.
- Local Actions: Executing tasks across Windows such as organizing files, evaluating hardware diagnostics, troubleshooting, programming, and executing workflows locally.
- Local Models: Utilizing AI models that run on the computer while integrating cloud intelligence when needed for more complex tasks.
The new Aion Instruct model
The company also unveiled a new local AI model called "Aion Instruct" to replace the "Phi Silica" model. It is a small language model that runs on NPUs, GPUs, and even CPUs in some cases, to handle text generation, instruction following, and web tasks.
Why does this development matter?
Microsoft views the hybrid approach as the future path for computing, given the importance of computers possessing local capabilities to reduce pressure on data centers and enhance privacy and security. In a marketing context, reports indicated that the term "Copilot+ PCs" will gradually recede as a marketing brand to become merely a technical specification standard, with a shift toward highlighting the term "Hybrid Intelligence PCs."