Private computer systems have change into, it appears, slightly boring. Each few months, PC distributors launch new line-ups, however the upgrades are sometimes too minor to warrant customers’ consideration or spending. Whereas firms market these options as improvements, a lot of the know-how can really feel pressured slightly than genuinely thrilling or new. The identical pattern is seen in smartphones, with each classes now showing more and more mature.
Trade insiders agree.
This week, nonetheless, HP, the oldest laptop maker in Silicon Valley, is attempting to revive PCs with the assistance of synthetic intelligence by introducing an AI companion that may be very completely different from Microsoft’s Copilot or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. HP IQ, in a real sense, is a brand new kind of AI interface that would give Home windows PCs a a lot wanted rebirth.
Ex-iPhone UI designer behind the IQ AI chatbot
On the Think about occasion in New York, HP unveiled IQ for the primary time, a brand new on-device intelligence layer designed to run immediately on PCs, however not on all gadgets. It’s focused particularly at enterprise and enterprise computer systems, together with the EliteBook collection.
The mastermind behind IQ is Imran Chaudhri, SVP of Design & Know-how at HP IQ Lab, who was one in all six designers accountable for the iPhone’s interface. Chaudhri and his companion, Bethany Bongiorno, left Apple to begin their very own firm, Humane, which was acquired by HP in 2025.
HP IQ doesn’t require an web connection to run. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/ The Indian Categorical)
Humane obtained important international consideration just a few years in the past when it tried to launch screen-less private computing with the Humane AI Pin, which was each a business and a vital failure.
Just like the Humane AI Pin, which promised “ambient computing”, a man-made intelligence-driven expertise that’s private and contextual, the inspiration of IQ is essentially the identical. In reality, it builds on Humane’s CosmOS, the working system initially developed for the AI Pin.
HP IQ is an AI assistant
However is it an AI chatbot, or one thing extra advanced? There are already loads of AI chatbots available on the market. Nevertheless, HP IQ is basically an AI assistant, however designed in another way.
Story continues beneath this advert
When requested concerning the distinction between the AI chatbot and HP IQ, Matt Brown, head of product for HP IQ, advised indianexpress.com, “Positive, each will coexist. We’re actually targeted on offering, to start with, one thing that’s native and safe on the machine. Secondly, one thing individuals get with their AI PC so that they have a place to begin.”
Maybe the most important distinction between the AI chatbot and HP IQ is that the latter doesn’t require an web connection to run. All of your delicate prompts keep on the machine and aren’t despatched to the cloud for processing, a key concern for enterprises and companies cautious of utilizing AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which rely closely on the cloud.
Requested why HP introduced IQ to enterprise PCs as an alternative of client PCs, Brown stated, “I feel we actually imagine within the skill of AI to rework how work will get achieved. We see a giant alternative, and whereas we wish to broaden to different areas, beginning within the workplace with enterprise is de facto vital for our prospects.”
HP IQ might be obtainable in spring on EliteBooks, ProBooks, Zbooks, and Poly gadgets. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Categorical)
The easiest way to outline HP IQ is that this: it permits customers to ask questions, summarise paperwork, establish duties, optimise PC settings, and get solutions about their HP merchandise. HP IQ runs the GPT-OSS 20B AI mannequin, launched by OpenAI late final 12 months. To be clear, this isn’t constructed as a “reasoning” mannequin able to agentic work like OpenAI’s OpenChat or related methods.
Story continues beneath this advert
In a demo, Brown uploaded a delicate quarterly earnings assertion to a PC after which requested the IQ bot, based mostly on OpenAI’s GPT-OSS-20B, to analyse it. He then requested the IQ bot to assist him with the income purpose for the following quarter. In a matter of seconds, the IQ bot responded with the precise data requested. Since it is a deep-thinking mannequin, when the manager requested, “What are typical questions analysts would possibly ask?” the IQ bot analysed the whole doc and generated 5 questions with context in actual time.
In one other demo, Brown requested IQ to create a job posting based mostly on a resume. You possibly can ask it questions, each written and spoken, and since IQ understands a number of languages, the manager requested it to translate the resume into one other language.
The manager then confirmed the NearSense function, which at the moment presents two essential options however will provide extra sooner or later. First, it could actually present you an inventory of coworkers in the identical room as you and allow you to ship them information by drag-and-drop, just like Apple’s AirDrop function. NearSense also can log you into conferences or begin a gathering on the HP Poly conferencing {hardware} that’s in the identical room as you.
The IQ interface is easy and straightforward to navigate, which is the place Chaudhri’s and his workforce’s experience turns out to be useful. Within the centre is the principle interplay level, the place you may ask questions. On the left aspect is the Notes Agent, which shows your current notes. On the correct is the NearSense button, which helps you to work together with close by coworkers or different gadgets.
Story continues beneath this advert
“We needed one thing that’s there while you want it however out of the way in which while you don’t. It’s straightforward to evoke IQ on high. The UI provides you a easy place to work together with, and when you have to broaden it, it’s so simple as a drag or a click on. It enables you to shortly carry out an motion after which push it again out of the way in which,” Brown stated.
“We even have contextual home windows that can pop up. For instance, while you stroll right into a room and have a scheduled assembly, we’ll immediate you and ask, ‘Hey, do you wish to begin the assembly?’”
IQ acts as a layer between gadgets and AI
The primary motive HP developed its personal AI assistant is to regulate the general person expertise, making certain it really works seamlessly throughout each {hardware} and software program.
Matt Brown, HP IQ product supervisor, throughout the demonstration of IQ with choose media in New York. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Categorical)
“With IQ, we try to convey it to all of the completely different gadgets that you just additionally use all through the workplace. We’re pondering convention rooms, printers, and headsets. We wish to use IQ to create extra clever experiences throughout your workflow, not simply when you’re in a single chat occasion,” Brown stated.
Story continues beneath this advert
Consider it this fashion. If an organisation buys all its gadgets and gear from HP, IQ provides a layer between gadgets and AI whereas additionally protecting knowledge personal, because it runs immediately on the gadgets.
HP has had an AI companion earlier than, but it surely was very chatbot-like. IQ can also be a chatbot in your PC, however it’s not like what Microsoft did with Home windows 11 or how OpenAI’s ChatGPT behaves on a PC.
“We needed to create a person expertise that works across the person’s workflow, as an alternative of simply giving them discrete home windows to click on into. We imagine that’s how AI workflows will proceed to evolve. They have to be context-based and work across the duties you might be doing, slightly than simply offering separate home windows.”
HP IQ’s early entry program requires a 2026 EliteBook or ProBook “AI PC” with not less than 24 GB of RAM. The corporate plans to broaden compatibility to different HP notebooks, desktops, and Poly Studio Video Bars by summer season, with further gadgets launching later within the 12 months. HP additionally intends to make IQ work on Android gadgets, permitting native file sharing and conferencing on hundreds of thousands of telephones.
Story continues beneath this advert
What units IQ aside from different Home windows PCs
The massive query isn’t whether or not HP IQ is revolutionary. For the longest time, PC distributors have been caught with the Home windows-based person interface. In reality, insiders say Microsoft has struggled with Home windows 11, and its current AI additions over the previous few months have backfired.
Imran Chaudhri, a former Apple designer and co-founder of Humane, heads HP IQ labs. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Categorical)
For PC distributors comparable to HP, there’s restricted alternative to innovate on high of Home windows, as Microsoft controls the pipeline for function rollouts. Nevertheless, HP IQ provides the corporate larger management over the machine, as it’s layered on high of the interface and works solely on HP gadgets. The potential might be important if HP opens NearSense’s capabilities to third-party gadgets.
With partnerships with Google and Qualcomm to convey Android gadgets into the ecosystem, HP plans to combine IQ with Google’s Machine-to-Machine Infrastructure (D2DI) and broaden it throughout different ecosystems as nicely.
If we dig deeper, HP’s strategy with IQ mirrors Apple’s, controlling the narrative and providing a cohesive expertise.
Story continues beneath this advert
On some degree, HP IQ is a breath of recent air, however the reality is that it’s at the moment aimed toward enterprise PCs, not client PCs. Which may change, however there is no such thing as a assure. One other query is how nicely IQ will carry out in the long term, because it depends on a comparatively small-scale 20-billion-parameter mannequin operating on-device. To not be forgotten, rivals can now match state-of-the-art methods in weeks, elevating issues about data distillation and shrinking benefits.
“We’re beginning with this mannequin throughout the board, however you will note completely different efficiency based mostly on the configuration of the PC. Should you run this on one in all our workstations, you may anticipate a quick response, however we’re designing it to run throughout a variety of configurations for AI PCs,” stated Brown.