Lenovo's Qira AI Platform and Vision
Lenovo announced Qira, a personalized AI assistant designed to connect user context across its various devices, including laptops, tablets, and Motorola smartphones. Luca Rossi, Lenovo's Executive Vice President and President of the Intelligent Devices Group, described Qira as an "orchestration layer." This layer will collect user information across Android, Windows, and wearable platforms to facilitate an uninterrupted experience by anticipating a user's "Next Move" and directing AI workloads to appropriate cloud or on-device resources.
Collaboration and Device Availability
Qira is developed in collaboration with partners such as Microsoft, with Copilot designed to work alongside the platform. Lenovo is committed to a hybrid AI approach, utilizing both cloud and edge computing. Initially, Qira will be available on new devices that meet specific performance and memory requirements. Lenovo plans to expand its availability to more devices over time through continuous over-the-air updates. The company states it is platform-agnostic regarding silicon, supporting modern Neural Processing Units (NPUs) from various manufacturers.
Future of Wearables and AI Hardware
Lenovo is actively exploring wearable devices as a key component of the Qira ecosystem. Project Maxwell, an AI pendant, was presented as a viable proof of concept, though an imminent launch date has not been announced. Other wearable devices, including smart glasses and ambient AI sensing devices, are being prototyped to enhance data capture. Key challenges for wearables include power consumption, maintaining a small form factor, and achieving sufficient computing power. The evolution of NPUs is considered critical for Qira and the broader AI PC ecosystem, with an increasing demand for higher Tera Operations Per Second (TOPS).
Data Privacy and User Control
Addressing privacy concerns, Lenovo emphasized that data sharing with Qira will occur "with your permission." The company intends to provide users with transparent visibility and control over which data remains on their device and which is transmitted. Rossi acknowledged the broader societal discussions surrounding data privacy with ubiquitous sensing devices.
Strategic Partnerships
Lenovo's partnerships with Formula 1 and the FIFA World Cup involve providing technology for data management and infrastructure optimization. These collaborations also contribute to enhancing Lenovo's brand reputation and awareness globally.