Microsoft has seemingly abandoned the Copilot+ branding for its AI PCs, with the company's latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices notably lacking the designation. This comes less than two years after the initiative was launched with the aim of bringing AI-powered PCs to the mainstream.
At a recent Qualcomm Summit, Microsoft Surface CVP Brett Ostrum confirmed to Windows Central that the new devices are "not called Copilot+ PCs." However, he clarified that they still meet the previous technical benchmark for Copilot+ devices, which requires a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of at least 45 TOPs of AI compute performance.
Microsoft has not provided a specific reason for discontinuing the Copilot+ branding. The program faced some controversy, including the introduction of a dedicated Copilot key on keyboards and the controversial Recall feature in Windows 11, which continuously captured screenshots for AI-powered search. Despite the apparent shift away from the Copilot+ label, Microsoft's commitment to AI remains strong. CEO Satya Nadella has repeatedly emphasized the company's focus on AI, describing Copilot as a "new OS for work that spans every model, every form factor, and every task."
The gaming division appears less impacted by this AI push. In February, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma assured gamers that Microsoft would not compel studios to adopt AI technologies. However, the company has continued to pursue patents related to AI implementation in gaming, including displaying ads during gameplay and potentially having AI assist in playing games.