Windows Search is getting AI features powered by your NPU [Video]

If you’ve bought a laptop in the last couple of years, you’ve probably heard some marketing guff about the super-cool NPU inside of it. What you haven’t heard much of is what that NPU can actually do, since most of those flashy AI capabilities rely on remote data centers and most of the “AI” apps that run on your local hardware aren’t even using it yet. That’s about to change, according to Microsoft.

Related: What the heck is an NPU? AI chips, explained

As part of this year’s Ignite developer conference, Microsoft says Windows 11’s built-in search function will be accelerated by the NPU in Copilot+ laptops and other hardware. According to the announcement, the improved version of search will come to the broader Windows Search (the thing that lives in the Start menu) as well as more granular searches in File Explorer and Settings.

“Users will be able to find the right files, including documents and photos, without needing …