AMD accelerates AI adoption in Windows 11 with new developer tools for Ryzen AI.
Artificial intelligence is one of the most transformative technologies in the last 40 years, but to take full advantage of its possibilities it takes more than just a processor or a next-generation graphics card. Previous major computing changes, such as 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 meeting this challenge, working together to create the building blocks developers and consumers will need to get the most out of AI today and in the future.
Although many AI tasks can run on a conventional CPU or GPU, these are often not the ideal locations to perform a machine learning inference workload. As more AI models and workloads evolve, it will be vital to use specialized engines on silicon designed specifically for AI tasks that deliver the right performance and experience for end users. Select new AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series Processors with Ryzen™ AI feature cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence capabilities, via a dedicated on-chip processing block built specifically to handle workloads of this kind, the first in its class for x86 laptops running Windows 11[i]. Integrating this functionality into ultrathin PCs will provide these systems with exceptional AI performance that they couldn’t get if they relied on more conventional processors.
Microsoft is working to integrate AI into the Windows ecosystem in a variety of ways, and AMD Ryzen AI is designed to support these innovations. As an example, AMD Ryzen AI now supports Windows Studio Effects, including eye contact (to compensate for eyes looking at the screen instead of the camera), auto framing (to automatically zoom and crop the image as you you move), and advanced background effects, including background blur. Each one is designed to enhance a different aspect of video calling, which for many has become an important part of their work and everyday life. Windows Studio effects are triggered by machine learning algorithms and will require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) such as Ryzen AI.
These advanced Windows-based features are available on notebooks with select AMD Ryzen 7040 Series Processors with Ryzen AI. Although we are still in the early days of adopting these solutions, the importance of a dedicated AI engine like Ryzen AI will only grow with time. AI is already reshaping vast swaths of the computing market, from content creation to video conferencing. As their use increases, so does the need for hardware and software that can accelerate these workloads more effectively. Supporting the nascent AI market means not only supporting applications for consumers, but also for developers.
As part of its overall AI strategy, AMD is providing early access to Ryzen AI software to Windows developers. This will enable researchers and developers in the field to run AI workloads on select Ryzen 7040 Series processors with Ryzen AI using the open source Vitis AI Execution Provider (EP) Artificial Intelligence framework, which is delivered in ONNX Runtime, and is compatible with Microsoft Olive. This package offers superior CPU support and is configured to smoothly and progressively boost AMD XDNA™ AI engine acceleration with almost no usability impact. If you are an interested developer please visit GitHub for a start.
“We believe dedicated AI processing engines are essential to bringing to life a future of incredible AI experiences on Windows 11,” said Pavan Davuluri, CVP Windows Silicon and Systems Integration at Microsoft Corp. “Ryzen 7040 Series Processors with AMD Ryzen AI are a great tool to experience Windows Studio Effects now and in the future for developers to run AI workloads in the ONNX Runtime today.”
AI is expected to drive innovation in the Windows ecosystem for years to come, both for customers and developers. AMD Ryzen 7040 Series Processors with AMD Ryzen AI are the cutting edge of a new generation of silicon that delivers outstanding performance, incredible power efficiency, and unique experiences not available on other current x86 processors. The new tools for developers that AMD has introduced will allow them to more easily add or integrate AI capabilities, making AI-powered applications more widely and generally available to the public. These features will be available on more than 80 AMD Ryzen AI laptops, making them the best choice for those looking for a modern and powerful laptop.
[i] Based on internal AMD analysis as of May 2023, select Ryzen™ 7040 mobile processors with dedicated AI hardware are the only x86 PC processors with dedicated AI hardware. PHX-3
