Topic hub

AI and software, explained without the hype

What chatbots, AI PCs and the latest app and system updates can actually do for you, and what they ask for in return.

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About this hub

What we cover in AI & Software.

This hub covers the software side of personal tech, with a close eye on artificial intelligence. That means AI chatbots and assistants, the on-device AI features now built into phones and laptops, the NPUs and Copilot+ PCs that power them, the productivity apps that promise to save you time, and the operating systems that tie it all together: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and ChromeOS. Software changes faster than hardware, so we also track the updates that quietly change how your devices behave.

The audience is people who use these tools rather than build them. You might be deciding whether an AI PC is worth the upgrade, wondering what a chatbot does with the things you type into it, or trying to work out which feature in a system update deserves your attention. Our job at RedAndWhiteMagz.com is to separate the features that change your day from the ones that mostly look good in a keynote, and to be upfront about the limits: confident mistakes, extra subscriptions and data collection.

If the subject is new to you, start with the subtopics below, each of which explains what we track and why it matters. The FAQs answer three common questions, from Copilot+ PC requirements to chatbot privacy. Terms such as TOPS, NPU and large language model are defined the first time they appear, and claims about a feature or setting point back to the official documentation that confirms them. When a feature is limited to certain countries, devices or paid plans, we say so up front.

  • Chatbots and assistants

    How the major AI chatbots and voice assistants compare for writing, research and everyday questions, and why their answers still need checking.

  • On-device AI

    Features that run on your phone or laptop instead of in the cloud, such as live captions, photo cleanup and transcription, and what that means for speed, battery life and privacy.

  • AI PCs and NPUs

    What a neural processing unit does, how TOPS ratings work, and what Microsoft's Copilot+ PC label, which calls for a 40+ TOPS NPU, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, actually gets you.

  • Productivity apps

    Office, note-taking, email and calendar apps, and whether their new AI add-ons genuinely save time or just add another subscription.

  • AI privacy and data

    What happens to your prompts, files and voice recordings, where to find the history and training settings in popular AI tools, and what to keep out of a chat window.

  • Operating systems

    Major updates to Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and ChromeOS, which new features are worth turning on, and when older devices stop getting support.

AI & Software guides

Start with these guides.

All guides

Quick answers

AI & Software questions, answered.

Short, plain-English answers to the questions readers ask most about ai & software.

What is a Copilot+ PC?

A Copilot+ PC is a Windows 11 computer that meets Microsoft's hardware bar for its most demanding on-device AI features: an NPU rated at 40 TOPS or more, at least 16 GB of RAM and at least 256 GB of storage. Qualifying processors include Snapdragon X series chips and selected Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI models. The extra NPU power unlocks features such as Recall, which is opt-in, and Click to Do.

Is on-device AI more private than cloud AI?

Usually, because the data is processed on your phone or computer instead of being sent to a company's servers. Many assistants mix the two, though, and hand harder requests to the cloud, so check the feature's settings or privacy notes to see what is processed where. Apple, for example, sends some Apple Intelligence requests to its Private Cloud Compute servers.

Do AI chatbots use my conversations for training?

It depends on the service and your settings. Several popular consumer chatbots can use your chats to improve their models unless you turn that option off in the privacy or data controls, while business and enterprise plans typically exclude customer data from training by default. Either way, avoid pasting passwords, financial details or other sensitive information into a chatbot.

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