The Intel Core Ultra Processor Brings AI Readiness to the PC
A new neural processing unit handles artificial intelligence workloads without compromising performance.
It’s no exaggeration to say the recently released Intel Core Ultra processor is the company’s most significant architectural improvement in more than 40 years. Designed to leverage artificial intelligence capabilities across operating systems and applications, the processor integrates AI through the new neural processing unit (NPU) with traditional central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs).
Intel envisions the Core Ultra as the first processor designed for environments that plan to take full advantage of future AI capabilities. To expedite this evolution, Intel has launched its AI PC Acceleration Program, which supports independent software vendor (ISV) partners in expanding the AI market through new applications and use cases.
Intel is leveraging these components — the Intel Core Ultra’s NPU and AI performance, and the ISV ecosystem — to provide users with an AI-ready PC that excels now and will get even better as AI evolves.
Power-Efficient NPU Keeps Productivity High
Notably, the Intel Core Ultra processor offers an AI boost without compromising power efficiency. Integration of the NPU on the chip opens a whole new wave of AI-driven experiences that can run on the PC. Typically, AI workloads have consumed battery life and hampered performance. Their value is predicated on running continuously in the background so they can make predictive recommendations and take on easy tasks. However, this generally erodes power performance quickly.
The Intel Core Ultra’s NPU solves this problem by providing a low-power offload to run those workloads, which improves power efficiency and performance. The processor’s improved performance opens the door to new AI use cases on PCs, a critical consideration given that most vendors are writing more AI-enhanced applications. With an AI-ready processor such as the Intel Core Ultra, users can plan to take advantage of these offerings without sacrificing current productivity levels.
Beyond AI, the Intel Core Ultra’s power efficiency can dramatically affect day-to-day productivity. For example, longer battery life is essential for mobile users relying on videoconferencing platforms and other compute-intensive collaboration tools.
Giving Users More Choice in AI Applications
To help expand the types of AI applications available for PCs, Intel is investing in hundreds of ISVs — essentially, building a robust ecosystem that works in concert with these new devices. This will support software developers looking to create new AI-powered applications and harness the full power of the Intel Core Ultra processor’s capabilities. Intel is helping to drive that scale through its Acceleration Program, partnering with top software vendors across multiple industries and providing tools and programs that allow them to write code seamlessly into the x86 architecture.
Together, the AI-ready Intel Core Ultra processor and the AI PC Acceleration Program are a uniquely powerful combination, ensuring that as AI use cases proliferate, users can choose which ones they want to incorporate. We all use our PCs differently, and we need AI support across all scenarios. The Acceleration Program makes that possible.
When refreshing PCs across your organization, longevity is one of the most important considerations. The Intel Core Ultra supports an AI-ready PC that will, for the first time, get stronger over time as more AI workloads are written into ISV applications, and the NPU is there to take advantage of it. With greater efficiency, enhanced performance and the power to exploit the next wave of AI, this PC is designed for the future.
Story by Steven Forsberg
