Big tech pitches new AI laptop ideas as questions about demand grow

In short: Big tech companies are pushing new AI features for laptops and apps, but even supporters are asking whether everyday users want them.

What's going on

Big developer events like Microsoft Build and Google I/O are putting a spotlight on “AI agents,” which are AI helpers meant to do tasks for you, not just answer questions. Think of an agent like a digital assistant that can plan a trip, fill out forms, or manage steps in a process, like a very fast intern that follows instructions.

On a recent episode of The Vergecast, the hosts discussed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s pitch for a “new way” to use laptops. Nvidia is also pointing to a “new kind of laptop” designed to better run AI software directly on your device, instead of sending everything to a company’s computers over the internet.

The episode also covered a wave of new agent-style products and projects across the industry, including Google’s Gemini Spark and Microsoft’s Scout and Solara projects. The common theme is that companies want AI to sit closer to the center of your computer experience, instead of being a separate app you open once in a while.

What to watch

A key open question is whether people will change how they use their computers to match these new AI tools, or whether most users just want faster, simpler laptops with a few helpful features. It is also worth watching how much of this works smoothly day to day, since agent tools can be powerful but also confusing when they make decisions on your behalf.

Source: The Verge AI