AI is one of the most transformative technologies to debut in the past 40 years, but taking full advantage of its capabilities requires more than just the latest processor or graphics card. Previous major shifts in computing, like the adoption of 64-bit software and the introduction of 3D-accelerated graphics in the late 1990s, required significant software support as well as sophisticated new hardware capabilities. Today, AMD and Microsoft are stepping up to this challenge, working together to create the building blocks developers and consumers will need to take full advantage of AI both today and in the future.

While many AI tasks can run on a conventional CPU or GPU, these often aren't the ideal locations for executing a machine learning inference workload. As more AI models and workloads evolve, it will be vital to use specialized AI engines on the silicon designed specifically for AI tasks to deliver the right performance and experience to end users. The select new AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors with Ryzen AI deliver cutting-edge AI features via a dedicated on-die processing block that's purpose-built to handle AI workloads - the first of its kind for x86 Windows 11 laptops. Integrating this functionality in ultrathin laptops will give these systems the outstanding AI performance they might not enjoy if relying on more conventional processors.Microsoft is working to integrate AI into the Windows ecosystem in many different ways and AMD Ryzen AI is designed to support these new innovations. As one example, AMD Ryzen AI is now supported in Windows Studio Effects. These effects include Eye Contact (an effect to compensate for eyes looking at the screen instead of the camera), Automatic framing (an effect to automatically zoom and crop the image as you move around), and advanced background effects, including background blur. Each is designed to improve a different aspect of video calls - which, for many, have become an important part of their jobs and daily lives. Windows Studio effects is enabled by machine learning algorithms and will require a NPU (neural processing unit) like Ryzen AI.

These advanced Windows-based features are available on laptops with select AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors with Ryzen AI. While we're still in the early days of AI adoption, the importance of a dedicated AI engine like Ryzen AI will only grow over time. AI is already reshaping wide swathes of the computing market, from content creation to video conferencing. As the use of artificial intelligence grows, so does the need for hardware and software that can accelerate these workloads more effectively. Supporting the nascent AI market doesn't just mean supporting consumer-facing applications but supporting developers as well.

As part of its overall AI strategic direction, AMD is providing early access to the Ryzen AI software to Windows developers. This will enable AI researchers and developers to run AI workloads on select Ryzen 7040 Series processors with Ryzen AI using the open-source AI framework Vitis AI Execution Provider (EP), which is up streamed in ONNX Runtime with support for Microsoft Olive. This package offers superior CPU support and is set to seamlessly and progressively boost AMD XDNA AI Engine acceleration with virtually no usability impact. Developers are encouraged to visit GitHub to begin.

"We believe that dedicated AI processing engines are essential to bring to life a future of amazing AI experiences on Windows 11," said Pavan Davuluri, CVP Windows Silicon and Systems Integration, Microsoft Corp. "The Ryzen 7040 Series processors with AMD Ryzen AI are a great way to experience Windows Studio Effects now and, in the future, for developers to run AI workloads on the ONNX Runtime today."

AI is expected to drive innovation in the Windows ecosystem for years to come, for both customers and developers alike. AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors with AMD Ryzen AI are the vanguard of a new generation of silicon that offers outstanding performance, incredible power efficiency, and unique experiences not available on other x86 processors today. The new developer tools AMD has made available will enable programmers to more easily add or integrate AI functionality, making artificial intelligence-powered applications more widely available to the general public. These features will be available in more than 80 AMD Ryzen AI- powered laptops, making them the best choice for anyone looking for a powerful, modern notebook.