Intel wants your help building AI PCs

Intel is on a mission to make our PCs smarter than ever before. They’re doing this by introducing something called “AI PCs,” which bring artificial intelligence capabilities right to your desktop.

At the heart of these AI PCs is Intel’s latest invention: the Core Ultra processor family. These processors are like the brain of your computer, but they’re supercharged with extra power for AI tasks. This means they can do things like make videos look better in real-time and run apps that use AI more efficiently.

Now, Intel wants to make sure everyone can take advantage of these AI PCs, not just big companies. That’s why they’ve launched a special program to help smaller software companies and even students get involved in developing AI-powered apps. They’re providing all the tools and resources these developers need to get started.

Meet Intel’s AI PC Acceleration Program

The AI PC Acceleration Program by Intel is an initiative designed to accelerate the development and adoption of applications optimized for AI PCs. These AI PCs are equipped with Intel’s latest Core Ultra processors, which integrate CPU, GPU, and neural processing units (NPUs) for enhanced AI capabilities.

The program targets not only major software vendors but also smaller software houses, individual developers, and aspiring talents in educational institutions. Its primary aim is to provide these developers with access to AI frameworks, libraries, and tools essential for AI deployment, such as Intel’s OpenVINO, the Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX) runtime, DirectML, and WebNN.

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By offering resources and support through this program, Intel aims to make it easier for developers to leverage the power of AI and optimize their applications for AI PCs. This includes providing documentation, training, and optimized AI models to streamline the development process.

“We have made great strides with our AI PC Acceleration Program by working with the ecosystem. Today, with the addition of the AI PC Developer Program, we are expanding our reach to go beyond large ISVs and engage with small- and medium-sized players and aspiring developers. Our goal is to drive a frictionless experience by offering a broad set of tools including the new AI-ready Developer Kit.”

–Carla Rodriguez, Intel vice president and general manager of Client Software Ecosystem Enabling

Overall, the AI PC Acceleration Program can play a crucial role in fostering innovation and enabling developers to harness the full potential of AI-enhanced PCs for creating smarter and more efficient applications.

But what exactly makes a PC an “AI PC”?

Well, according to Intel, it’s pretty simple. If your computer has one of their latest processors inside, it counts as an AI PC or AI computer. They’ve even teamed up with Microsoft to make sure their definition matches up.

In a broader sense, an “AI PC” is a computer equipped with specialized hardware like neural processing units (NPUs) and AI-focused processors such as Intel’s Core Ultra processors. These components are optimized for handling AI tasks like machine learning and computer vision efficiently. Additionally, AI PCs come with pre-installed software frameworks and libraries tailored for AI development, facilitating the deployment and optimization of AI models on the device. In essence, an AI PC seamlessly integrates AI technologies, enabling complex tasks to be performed efficiently on the device itself.

By integrating their latest Core Ultra processors with CPU, GPU, and neural processing units (NPUs), Intel is revolutionizing personal computing, enabling tasks such as real-time video enhancement and efficient AI application execution (Image credit)

To help developers get hands-on experience, Intel is offering special kits based on a popular mini-computer called the Asus NUC 14 Pro. These kits come with everything you need to start building AI-powered apps right away.

And it’s not just developers who are getting in on the action. Intel is also working with other companies to make sure all the hardware components of AI PCs work together smoothly. They’re focusing on things like making screens use less power, adding sensors for things like face recognition, and making sure your computer’s memory works as efficiently as possible.

Intel’s push for AI PCs

Looking ahead, Intel has big plans. They’re aiming to have 100 million AI-enabled PCs out there by 2025. With over 100 different computer designs already on the market, it’s clear that the AI PC era is just starting.

So, get ready for a smarter future where your PC can do more than ever before, thanks to Intel’s innovation in artificial intelligence.

Featured image credit: Eray Eliaçık/Bing