When Microsoft introduced its Copilot+ PCs in mid-2024, the launch signaled a new era of devices built specifically to support artificial intelligence. From powerful neural processing units (NPUs) to new AI applications, the devices offer higher education faculty a compelling benefit: the ability to optimize time and reduce cognitive load.

“All of us are being asked to do more with less,” says Dale Perrigo, the director of Windows in the Education for the U.S. and Canada for Microsoft. “And in higher ed, research is important. There’s often that element of competing with other universities. Being able to address this productivity challenge is key.”

The NPU on a Copilot+ PC can handle upward of 40 trillion operations per second, the base requirement for on-device AI workloads, says Rob McGilvrey, Microsoft’s Americas director for Windows Commercial.

Another differentiator is Windows AI Foundry, a built-in framework that supports both local and hybrid AI applications. Together, the NPU and Windows AI Foundry allow new, out-of-the-box capabilities, McGilvrey says.

EXPLORE: Microsoft Copilot+ PC can support your university’s AI applications.