How Lenovo is Powering the Future of PCs with AI

Updated August 16, 2025

A new kind of PC is here: one that doesn’t just run software, it helps think alongside you. The rise of on-device AI—accelerated by NPUs (neural processing units) delivering 40+ TOPS—has created a wave of “AI PCs” that offer translation, image generation, video enhancements, and security tasks locally, faster, and with greater privacy than cloud-only models. Microsoft formalized this category as Copilot+ PCs, which set baseline capabilities for Windows devices with powerful NPUs and memory/storage headroom.¹

Lenovo is leaning into this shift across its portfolio—from ultraportables to workstations and gaming rigs—by combining next-gen silicon (Qualcomm Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI) with its own software layer for creators, hybrid workers, gamers, and IT teams. In fact, recent reporting indicates AI PCs are already a material share of shipments industry-wide and for Lenovo, underscoring that this isn’t a niche trend—it’s the future of the PC platform itself.²

What makes an “AI PC” different?

Traditional laptops rely on CPUs and GPUs for nearly everything. AI PCs add a third engine: an NPU capable of accelerating tasks like real-time translation, background blur and eye-contact correction in video calls, image upscaling, and on-device generative AI. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC guidance clarifies that many new Windows AI features expect an NPU delivering roughly 40+ TOPS of AI throughput, with modern platforms such as Snapdragon X Elite offering up to 45 TOPS for these workloads.³⁴

Lenovo’s hardware canvas: Copilot+ and AI-ready systems

Lenovo supports this new baseline across several flagship lines. On the Copilot+ side, Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 ships with Snapdragon X Elite to unlock on-device AI experiences and exceptional battery life, while the business-first ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (Snapdragon) brings similar capabilities to IT-friendly form factors.⁵⁶

Prefer x86? The latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) and Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition pair Intel Core Ultra processors (with NPUs) and optional NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics for mixed GPU+NPU AI acceleration used by modern creative and productivity apps.⁷⁸

On-device AI apps that matter day-to-day

Beyond silicon, Lenovo is investing in software that makes local AI useful the moment you open the lid:

• Lenovo AI Now & AI Apps: A curated hub of AI experiences designed for quick assistance, troubleshooting, and creative workflows, surfaced in a unified experience on select devices.⁹
• Creator Zone: An exclusive suite for offline image generation and visual ideation—type what you imagine and render locally, no cloud round-trip required.¹⁰¹¹
• Lenovo View: AI-assisted video enhancements—auto-framing, background blur, and eye-contact correction—that offload to the NPU for smoother calls and longer battery life.¹²¹³

Security: AI that protects, not just produces

AI also reshapes how PCs are protected. Lenovo’s ThinkShield portfolio layers hardware, firmware, and software defenses—below the OS and up through the cloud—while new ThinkShield XDR (powered by SentinelOne) brings AI-enabled detection and response across endpoints, email, networks, and SaaS, with automated remediation to reduce time-to-contain.¹⁴¹⁵

That collaboration is deepening: SentinelOne’s Singularity platform and Purple AI are integrating more tightly with Lenovo’s stack, scaling AI-powered protection across new and existing devices for enterprise fleets.¹⁶

Gaming and pro graphics: tuning performance with AI

Lenovo’s Legion line layers AI Engine+ to sense workloads and dynamically tune CPU, GPU, and cooling for higher, steadier FPS—and it improves over time as the model learns your library and behavior.¹⁷ Earlier iterations even introduced a dedicated LA AI chip to offload optimization logic from the CPU, highlighting Lenovo’s hardware-plus-software approach to performance.¹⁸

Creators see similar benefits: on systems like Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, Intel NPUs handle background AI tasks (studio effects, noise reduction) while NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs accelerate ray-traced rendering and AI denoising in apps such as Adobe, DaVinci Resolve, and Blender.⁸

How this shows up for real users

• Remote professionals: NPU-powered Windows Studio effects (blur, auto-frame, eye contact) keep calls crisp without pegging the CPU, and Lenovo View adds fine-grained controls for lighting, framing, and privacy alerts.¹⁹¹²
• Creators: Creator Zone enables private, offline image generation—great for early drafts, moodboards, and concept exploration without waiting on a cloud queue or exposing unreleased work.¹⁰
• IT and security: ThinkShield XDR folds AI analytics into endpoint detection and response, helping teams spot anomalies faster and orchestrate response playbooks automatically.¹⁵
• Students and travelers: Copilot+ systems based on Snapdragon X Elite blend multi-day standby and long battery life with local translation and transcription—handy on flights and campuses without reliable Wi-Fi.²⁰

Buying guide: features to look for in your next AI-ready Lenovo

• NPU performance: Aim for Copilot+-class NPUs (≈40+ TOPS). Snapdragon X Elite/Plus, Intel Core Ultra 200V, and AMD Ryzen AI 300 all qualify.³²¹
• Memory & storage: 16 GB RAM and 512 GB (or more) SSD keep AI models responsive and leave headroom for features that cache snapshots and embeddings locally.¹
• Thermals & acoustics: AI workloads can be bursty; look for dual-fan designs and intelligent performance modes (Vantage/AI Engine+).
• Creator & meeting tools: Preloads like Creator Zone and Lenovo View save setup time for imaging and conferencing work.⁹
• Security stack: Verify ThinkShield options (XDR, BIOS protections, secure supply chain) and managed services if you’re deploying at scale.¹⁴
• Ports & wireless: Wi-Fi 7 where possible, plus USB-C/Thunderbolt, HDMI/DisplayPort for external GPUs or monitors.

Spotlight models to consider

• Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9: Copilot+ PC with Snapdragon X Elite for long battery life and fast on-device AI—ideal for creators who value portability.⁵
• ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (Snapdragon): Enterprise-friendly Copilot+ configuration with ARM efficiency and modern manageability.⁶
• ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12: Intel Core Ultra + NPU for Windows AI features, classic ThinkPad build, and excellent keyboards.⁷
• Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition: Intel NPU paired with GeForce RTX 50-series for accelerated editing and 3D creative pipelines.⁸

Why this matters now

The growth of AI workloads has outpaced the slow-and-steady cadence of traditional PC upgrades. Running AI locally reduces latency, preserves privacy, and avoids variable cloud costs. When your NPU is handling transcription, camera effects, or image generation during a flight, your CPU and GPU remain free for spreadsheets, timelines, or renders—and your battery lasts longer because those tasks were built for efficient tensor compute. Lenovo’s strategy—pairing Copilot+-class hardware with first-party AI apps, and wrapping it all in enterprise-grade security—makes the platform coherent for individuals and IT teams alike.

Bottom line

If you’re choosing a system that will last through multiple OS cycles and creative toolchains, aim for an AI-ready configuration today. A modern Lenovo computer offers the NPU horsepower for Windows AI features, the software to make those features useful out of the box, and the security posture enterprises expect. Whether you’re after an ultra-portable Copilot+ device, an Intel-powered creator machine with discrete graphics, or a gaming rig that learns how you play, Lenovo’s portfolio shows how AI is moving from buzzword to everyday advantage.

Ready to explore? Start with Lenovo’s overview of AI PCs and Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC hub, then match a platform (Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra, or AMD Ryzen AI) to your workflow.^{22<a href=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/copilot-plus-pcs” target=”_blank” rel=”noopene}