Microsoft stops insisting you need a "Copilot+ PC"

Microsoft introduced "Copilot+ PC" branding in 2024 to identify Windows computers with specific hardware requirements designed to run AI features locally, including 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a neural processing unit rated at 40 trillion operations per second or better. The company has now stopped using this branding on its new Surface laptops announced this week, even though they meet all the previous requirements for the label. The shift reflects declining consumer interest in AI PCs generally, as cloud-based AI alternatives are widely available and specific use cases for on-device AI remain limited. Microsoft may also be moving away from the branding because it was associated with security concerns related to its Recall feature, and because the company is preparing to emphasize new laptop GPUs arriving this fall.