Lenovo made quite a splash at MWC 2025 by unveiling new AI-powered hardware, alongside intriguing proof-of-concept devices that could potentially reach the market someday. Among these innovations was a solar-powered Yoga PC and a unique charging unit. However, one of the standout introductions was Lenovo’s AI Display POC, featuring its own Neural Processing Unit (NPU) designed to manage local AI workflows. Lenovo has positioned this concept monitor as a step towards “smarter technology for all,” offering particular benefits to PCs that don’t have their own NPU.
What’s fascinating about this AI Display is its capacity to autonomously adjust itself—whether it’s rotating, elevating, or tilting—to ensure users always have the best view. If you spend countless hours in front of a screen, having a monitor that intelligently takes care of your ergonomic needs can be a real game-changer. How effectively this promise translates into reality, however, remains a question to be answered in practical use.
In addition to this, Lenovo introduced the AI Stick POC, aimed at those who own premium monitors but lack AI capabilities in their PCs. This compact device discreetly adds an NPU with 32 TOPS of AI power via Thunderbolt. It’s designed to enhance AI performance locally, potentially relieving your CPU and GPU for other tasks. Although it might not support Windows 11’s Copilot+ features (which require at least 40 TOPS), its compact size—akin to an external M.2 SSD enclosure—makes it an appealing choice for on-the-go convenience.
While Lenovo hasn’t released details about potential pricing or availability, these developments indicate a clear willingness to experiment and innovate within the AI hardware space. I was first introduced to the concept of discrete NPUs with the Lenovo ThinkCentre neo Ultra, which featured a Kinara Ara-2 NPU. That device was ahead of its time, with capabilities that were promised but not yet functional at the time of my review. The AI Display POC’s NPU capabilities remain unspecified, but it’s logical to assume it can handle automatic adjustments and LLMs.
Compared to powerful GPUs like NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series, which can reach over 1,300 TOPS, the AI Stick’s 32 TOPS might seem modest. But Lenovo isn’t necessarily targeting high-end users here. Instead, the key selling point seems to be the enhanced convenience of AI functionality without needing an always-on internet connection—providing an additional layer of data security.
While the AI Stick’s current utility might not yet appeal to a broad audience, that could change as more AI tools become mainstream. Part of this toolkit is Lenovo’s AI Now suite, introduced alongside the AI Stick. This AI companion employs “hybrid large models” to integrate personal knowledge bases with natural comprehension capabilities.
Lenovo AI Now is split into two main areas: the Knowledge Assistant, which handles data retrieval and content generation locally, and the PC Assistant, which simplifies PC setup and improves system performance. Lenovo has suggested that as the AI landscape evolves, its AI Now suite will also gain new, practical functionalities that could make devices like the AI Stick increasingly relevant.
