AMD's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, John Taylor, recently announced on LinkedIn that the Ryzen AI 300 chips showcased at Computex 2024 are designed to support Copilot experiences later in the year. However, Tom's Hardware reached out to AMD for clarification and confirmed that these features will not be available at the chip's launch.
According to AMD, Copilot+ will be introduced through a Windows Update later in the year. This means that laptops equipped with the Ryzen AI processor will not be Copilot+ certified at launch, resulting in the inability to access features like Paint's Cocreator, Restyle Image, or the Recall feature that Microsoft has postponed.
Microsoft's Early Move
On the other hand, Microsoft has already launched Copilot+ PCs in May, featuring Snapdragon X-powered laptops from various manufacturers. These laptops are Copilot+ certified upon launch, allowing users to leverage Windows' local AI capabilities right out of the box.
Despite the Ryzen AI 300 chips offering superior NPU performance compared to Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus, they do not currently possess Microsoft's AI certification. As a result, users opting for laptops with the Ryzen AI processor will have to wait for the Copilot+ certification to enjoy Windows' AI features through a future Windows Update.
Alternative AI Capabilities
While the delay in Copilot+ certification may seem significant, users can still utilize the Ryzen AI 300's AI capabilities through third-party software such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Blender. These applications, which are expected to leverage the NPU core of the Ryzen AI 300, will enable users to access AI features directly on their devices without the need for a remote AI server.
Intel's Lunar Lake chips are also anticipated to receive Copilot+ branding later this year, although specific dates have not been disclosed yet. Despite the delay in certification, users may not miss out on much as Recall is still undergoing testing rather than a widespread release.
Looking Ahead
For those considering purchasing a new laptop with the Ryzen AI 300 chip, it is likely that the device will receive Copilot+ certification before the end of 2024, ensuring access to Windows' AI features. In the meantime, users can explore alternative online tools like Dall-E or Midjourney to substitute for the delayed Copilot+ features.