Following a community survey, XMG has decided to forgo the inclusion of a dedicated copilot key on its laptop keyboards. This decision aligns with the majority of survey responses. However, this change only pertains to the copilot key and does not signify a shift away from the overall AI PC concept. Both XMG and its sister brand SCHENKER continue to integrate the necessary technical requirements for AI functionality through NPUs, which are activated by default in the BIOS, provided the processor meets the specifications.
The AI Hype is Picking Up Speed
Recent announcements from the hardware and software industry in the field of artificial intelligence are causing quite a stir. Microsoft’s presentation of ‘Copilot+ PCs’ at Microsoft Build 2024, in particular, has sparked controversy. The introduction of Recall, a new AI feature that records the user’s screen every second, encrypts it, and saves it locally in the active Windows user profile to create an archive searchable via voice commands, has been contentious.
An article by Ars Technica, published shortly after the announcement, views this as a potential threat to privacy. However, it is important to note that the feature can be deactivated, and access to the locally stored data – rather than cloud storage – requires (unauthorised) third-party access to the system.
The fact that AI, like any new and potentially disruptive technology, holds enormous potential is undisputed. Equally unsurprising is the division of opinions into sceptics and enthusiasts. At this point, we do not wish to evaluate individual functions but remain fundamentally open to the opportunities arising from the use of new AI technologies. Ultimately, it is not the technology itself that determines its benefits but its realisation and implementation.
XMG Dispenses with Dedicated Copilot Key – Function Available via Standard Shortcut
However, we still retain the autonomy to decide which functions we adopt. For this reason, we conducted a survey on Reddit and the Computerbase forum for over a month, soliciting feedback from each community on the Copilot key.
The result: 57 per cent of participants rejected both a dedicated key and the printing of a Copilot logo as a secondary function on another key. Since the current version 23H2, Windows 11 activates the Copilot voice assistant via the shortcut ‘Win+C’ anyway.
Thus, there is no compelling need for a dedicated key, especially as its implementation would either necessitate the omission of frequently used keys such as ‘context menu’ or ‘Ctrl-right’ or degrade their primary function to a secondary assignment accessible via the Fn key.
Current XMG and SCHENKER Laptops are AI-Ready Thanks to the NPU
All XMG and SCHENKER laptops equipped with processors featuring an NPU have this Neural Processing Unit activated in the BIOS by default. Software with AI functions can thus immediately utilise the CPU’s AI acceleration unit. Depending on the processor manufacturer, this is labelled either ‘AMD Ryzen AI’ or ‘Intel AI Boost’. The following laptops from XMG and SCHENKER already include an NPU:
- All models with an AMD 7040 series CPU (codenamed ‘AMD Phoenix’) or the new 8040 series (codenamed ‘AMD Hawk Point’)
- All models with an Intel CPU from the Core Ultra series (codenamed ‘Meteor Lake’)
For further information and details, please refer to our deep dive on ‘Local AI Acceleration in Laptops from XMG and SCHENKER’.
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