AMD confirms Ryzen AI 300 PCs won't feature Copilot+ features at launch — will arrive via Windows Update later this year

AMD SVP and CMO John Taylor posted on LinkedIn that the Ryzen AI 300 chips the company showed at Computex 2024 targets will enable Copilot experiences later in 2024. Tom’s Hardware clarified with AMD that this means the features won't be available at launch.

“Yes, Copilot+ will come via a Windows Update later this year,”  we were told. This means that laptops with the Ryzen AI processor won’t be Copilot+ certified at launch, so it cannot use features like Paint’s Cocreator, Restyle Image, or the Recall feature that Microsoft has delayed.

Microsoft launched its Copilot+ PCs in May, with Snapdragon X-powered laptops from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Samsung and Microsoft itself are landing on store shelves and shipping on June 18th. These Snapdragon-powered offerings are Copilot+ certified on launch, so buyers who choose these models will have access to Windows’ local AI features.

However, since AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 chips do not have Microsoft’s AI certification yet, users who pick this processor won’t enjoy those Copilot+ features, even though the Ryzen AI 300’s NPU offers 50 TOPS — which ismore than the 45 TOPS that the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus outputs via their NPUs. Nevertheless, AMD says that the Copilot+ certification will arrive later this year, meaning these laptops will eventually get Windows’ AI features via a free Windows Update.

But even if the Ryzen AI 300 chip does not get the Microsoft Copilot+ branding at launch, you can still take advantage of the processor’s AI capabilities via third-party software. Apps like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Blender, which are likely to take advantage of the Ryzen AI 300’s NPU core (Adobe and Blender are listed as ISV partners), will allow you to use their AI features on device — no need to connect a distant AI server.

Intel's Lunar Lake chips are also expected to be in laptops getting Copilot+ branding sometime this year, but we don't know the dates just yet.

AMD’s delayed Copilot+ certification might seem like big news, but with Recall undergoing testing instead of a wide rollout, you might not miss out on much. Sure, you won’t have local access to Cocreator or Restyle Image at launch, but you can substitute them with other online tools like Dall-E or Midjourney. And if you usually wait a few months before purchasing new tech, you’ll likely get Copilot+ features when you do buy an AMD Ryzen AI laptop, as it would most probably have this certification before 2024 ends.