Lenovo's wild new concept hardware jams AI everywhere, but there's one big problem

Lenovo has been busy unveiling new AI-powered hardware at MWC 2025, and the company has also taken the opportunity to show off a few proof-of-concept (POC) devices that could one day see a full release.

Alongside a solar-powered Yoga PC and charging unit, Lenovo introduced a new AI Display POC with its own Neural Processing Unit (NPU) inside for handling local AI workflows.

Lenovo says the new AI monitor is part of its commitment to "smarter technology for all" and will especially benefit PCs that lack an NPU of their own.

Lenovo says the monitor concept allows non-AI PCs to use LLMs and an AI assistant. Lenovo has not stated the NPU's power in the AI Display, which is usually measured in TOPS.

The most intriguing part of Lenovo AI Display concept is its ability to automatically rotate, elevate, and tilt to offer the user the best viewing experience possible.

As someone who spends a lot of time in front of a screen, having the monitor make the right ergonomic decisions while my mind is elsewhere would undoubtedly be a benefit.

How well that idea would work in real life, however, remains to be seen.

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For those who lack an AI PC but who already have a quality monitor, Lenovo's new AI Stick POC is designed to discretely add an NPU with 32 TOPS of AI power to any PC via Thunderbolt.

This discrete piece of hardware, designed to run Lenovo AI Now, LLMs, and AI-enhanced graphics, can operate on Thunderbolt power or AC power, the latter option opening up maximum performance potential.

Unfortunately, with only 32 TOPS of power, it wouldn't make the cut for Copilot+ features in Windows 11, which require at least 40 TOPS.

This being a concept, the performance numbers could change if the hardware ever sees a full release.

Lenovo's AI Stick looks to be about the same size as an external M.2 SSD enclosure, small enough to slip into a pocket when you're on the go.

These being proofs of concept, Lenovo hasn't shared any details regarding a full release or pricing.

Will Lenovo's AI-powered monitors and "NPU sticks" soon be a common sight?

Lenovo is clearly not afraid to experiment with AI-powered hardware add-ons in its latest PCs and accessories.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre neo Ultra I reviewed late last year introduced me to the idea of a discrete NPU. Unfortunately, it was ahead of its time.

So far ahead, in fact, that the discrete NPU wasn't actually enabled in my review unit, with promises that it would become useful after a software update.

The discrete NPU inside the ThinkCentre neo Ultra is a Kinara Ara-2, complete with 40 TOPS of power to handle Copilot+ tasks.

It remains unclear how many TOPS the Lenovo AI Display POC can offer, but it would assumedly be enough to handle all of the automatic positioning as well as run LLMs.

Lenovo has, on the other hand, shared that the AI Stick's discrete NPU has a 32 TOPS ceiling, barring it from Copilot+ tools.

Compared to, say, a discrete GPU — even NVIDIA's last-gen RTX 40-series cards can hit 1,300+ TOPS — the AI Stick's 32 TOPS is measly, but I don't think Lenovo is targeting the same audience.

The AI Stick is more of a convenience factor, a piece of hardware you can add to any system for a small boost to AI performance in order to free up the CPU and GPU for other tasks.

Using AI locally with a discrete NPU also adds an extra layer of security. Without having to tap a cloud-based AI, all of your information stays on the system.

The AI Stick will undoubtedly come in handy for a select few users, but as it stands now, I don't think the vast majority of people will find enough use for it to warrant a purchase.

That should, of course, change as more useful AI tools become available. That leads me to Lenovo's AI Now suite of tools.

What is Lenovo AI Now?

Mentioned alongside the AI Stick is Lenovo's AI Now companion, introduced around the same time as I was reviewing the ThinkCentre neo Ultra late last year.

It's a custom AI assistant designed by Lenovo, using "hybrid large models" while combining "your personal knowledge base" and "natural comprehension capabilities."

Lenovo AI Now is split into two sections. Here's how Lenovo defines them in official documentation:

• Knowledge Assistant: Lenovo AI Now provides an efficient and secure office environment where you can retrieve information, ask questions, summarize content, and generate text based on your personal knowledge. All of these are processed locally to protect your privacy and work data.
• PC Assistant: Lenovo AI Now provides you with a convenient PC setup experience and Lenovo's unique intelligent setup functions, which can make your PC work better without computer expertise and skills. And Lenovo AI Now provides you with timely Lenovo services, which can easily interface with various services of Lenovo PC.

Lenovo states that new features for AI Now are expected to arrive in the near future, and that support and features can vary based on your region.

Considering the AI Stick lacks the power to run Copilot+ — so far the most common use for an NPU in an AI PC — I expect Lenovo's AI Now suite to quickly pick up similar features to make the hardware worth buying.