On paper, Lenovo Group and Dell Applied sciences are remarkably alike, however the two firms are organized and run in another way. That may change into clear to most who evaluate final week’s Lenovo Tech World 2024 occasion to Dell’s related occasion subsequent month.
On the coronary heart of the distinction is the character of each firms’ acquisitions and govt management. Lenovo’s management is geographically numerous, making it a really international firm, whereas Dell’s is primarily centralized within the U.S.
Though Michael Dell was instrumental within the firm’s development, he seems to have virtually retired in place. In the meantime, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing, generally known as YY, remains to be a vibrant a part of the corporate’s administration.
This distinction permits Lenovo to maneuver way more decisively on trade modifications, whereas Dell seems unable to make massive strikes and has to endure huge layoffs to make the identical pivot to AI that Lenovo has already made.
One other distinction is the extent to which Lenovo is utilizing AI. It’s already utilizing AI operationally and promoting mature AI options, whereas Dell nonetheless seems caught on making an attempt to promote an idea that the agency doesn’t appear to know how you can use but. Dell’s advertising and marketing is doing a good job of overlaying for these shortcomings, however the layoffs indicate most clients aren’t fooled.
Let’s talk about a number of the highlights from Lenovo Tech World 2024. Then, we’ll shut with my Product of the Week, an attention-grabbing, mechanized laptop computer that Lenovo highlighted on the occasion.
The Highly effective Open
Within the opening moments of an occasion like this, you’ll be able to typically see the place an organization’s coronary heart and focus are. It would do one thing humorous or function the main providing, however sometimes, I’m shocked, and this was a kind of occasions.
Lenovo opened with an illustration that includes a person with superior ALS who can’t converse and may solely transfer her eyes. However Lenovo had usual an AI answer for her in order that, utilizing AI, she might speak once more. This breakthrough is monumental for people with ALS, enabling each speech and on-line interplay.
This demonstration was extremely highly effective, and Lenovo adopted up by overlaying what it’s doing for training with AI. Schooling is attention-grabbing as a result of whereas it enormously impacts the world, the phase will not be very worthwhile. Customized studying for college kids utilizing AI could possibly be a large profit, because it ought to higher have interaction these college students and considerably enhance the effectiveness of training throughout all demographics.
Automated AI quizzes coupled with courses that educate utilizing a number of AIs to create extra compelling paperwork and reviews ought to much better put together college students for the AI future than every other current curriculum.
Each issues advised me that Lenovo is extra about making a distinction than making a revenue, which is extremely vital when speaking a few know-how that would remove many roles.
Lenovo made it clear that it’s not engaged on AI to switch folks however as a instrument that may make college students, folks with disabilities, and staff extra priceless slightly than redundant over time. This method stands in stark distinction to Dell’s latest AI-related layoffs.
Lenovo’s AI Library
One of many extra attention-grabbing choices on the occasion was the Lenovo AI Library. Most firms are nowhere close to as superior as Lenovo in utilizing AI. Nonetheless, Lenovo’s journey to AI has created a large quantity of data. The corporate has now positioned it in a library that may assist its clients acquire the insights they should make knowledgeable AI options.
Too many distributors are advertising and marketing AI as if it had been an finish in itself, much like how digital transformation was as soon as promoted slightly than a instrument to realize particular enterprise objectives. This could be certain that Lenovo’s clients succeed whereas most different efforts are nonetheless, sadly, incurring vital failures.
Blended Hybrid AI
The place Lenovo stands out relating to these efforts is the mixing of a number of AIs into an answer.
Like folks, AIs aren’t all equal and are greatest suited to the duties they had been designed to deal with. Nonetheless, many initiatives require numerous expertise, typically necessitating utilizing a number of AI programs for profitable completion. Lenovo’s hybrid AI method is exclusive in recognizing this, providing higher real-world advantages and a better probability of success.
One instance of this was the Lenovo AI paralegal. My spouse and I are watching the previous TV present “Fits,” which does a surprisingly wonderful job of declaring the essential nature of paralegals. These persons are overworked, and far of what they do requires huge quantities of analysis, the place a mistake could make the distinction between profitable and shedding a case.
One other highly effective instance was utilizing AI for Utilized Habits Evaluation (ABA) remedy. Certified ABA practitioners are costly, and solely comparatively rich kids have entry to the sort of remedy, which is more and more essential given how a lot harm social media instruments like TikTok are doing to them. Using AI on this context might tremendously scale back the rising despair and behavioral issues in the present day’s youngsters are struggling.
Lenovo Provider Partnerships
Lenovo has lengthy had a sturdy partnering tradition. Most OEMs are at arm’s size from their know-how suppliers, and our trade is known for vendor battle.
Lenovo collaborates surprisingly carefully with its suppliers, which has paid dividends up to now with workstations. Lenovo uniquely adopted AMD’s Threadripper and virtually instantly took workstation management. At present, Lenovo’s closeness with Nvidia is what has paid off. Lenovo showcased what’s arguably one of the best Nvidia Blackwell answer, which is cooled with Lenovo’s Sixth-generation warm-water cooling know-how, Neptune.
Blackwell is extremely highly effective but additionally makes use of loads of energy and generates an excessive amount of warmth. Neptune cools the half cost-effectively, which addresses two of the shortcomings related to a component on this class. Neptune is in the present day’s most generally used and environment friendly cooling know-how for information facilities.
Car Computing and Robotics
Over a decade in the past, Dell predicted at Dell World that robotics would change into the subsequent massive factor for enterprises. Autonomous autos have since emerged because the main class of autonomous robots, with different varieties of robots additionally growing. This yr, Lenovo bolstered this concept by showcasing present options, whereas Dell has but to observe by means of on its prediction.
Working with Nvidia, Lenovo showcased a Blackwell-based drive answer for vehicles with 2000 TOPS (Trillions or Tera Operations per Second). Excessive-performance AI PCs have solely 40 TOPS. Dell checked out doing this over 5 years in the past however by no means executed a rising downside with that firm on account of a scarcity of clear management and willingness to take essential dangers.
Lenovo additionally highlighted its model of the autonomous robotic canine. Different corporations have superior robotic canines, however Lenovo is the primary in its class to do that.
Lenovo’s 6-legged robotic displayed at Tech World 2024 (Picture by Writer)
As well as, whereas Lenovo will not be but utilizing Nvidia’s Omniverse for simulation coaching (it tends to go away coaching as much as the client), Lenovo is already anticipating that use, shifting it towards the entrance of the road for vehicle and autonomous robotic coaching.
Wrapping Up
Sometimes, an OEM surprises me, however I’ve been disenchanted by how firms like Dell have approached AI gross sales and deployment up to now. Many aren’t but utilizing AI extensively themselves and, in consequence, lack the understanding wanted to drive profitable implementations. Lenovo, nonetheless, isn’t simply pushing AI; it’s providing full AI options — from training to robotics — positioning itself and its clients for the way forward for AI.
For me, it was the work in training that I discovered to be essentially the most compelling. Expertise is doing huge hurt to youngsters now, and we have to prioritize technological options to deal with this essential downside. I discovered a kindred coronary heart in Lenovo; its focus right here might save many youngsters from unsure futures.
ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC Idea
(Picture by Writer)
I sometimes put merchandise you should buy on this part, however I used to be so impressed with this idea that I’m making an exception this week.
I’ve an costly automotive passion, and I typically watch movies on how to do that whereas engaged on my vehicles. The issue is that seeing the display as I transfer across the car normally requires that I reposition the pill or PC a number of occasions, however my arms are greasy and may make a multitude of that {hardware}, to not point out that there are occasions when my arms are in any other case engaged.
The ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC idea appears like an everyday laptop computer, however the display rotates to observe you across the room. So, in case you are cooking, engaged on a undertaking (like a automotive), or in any other case shifting round, the display mechanically strikes to observe you. This demo video is fairly cool:
One of many Amazon Alexa variations did this a couple of years in the past, and I discovered it extremely helpful, however the gadget at all times needed to be plugged in. Plus, Alexa’s capabilities restricted it, and since Alexa isn’t a PC, it couldn’t entry the movies I needed to observe.
The PC that Nvidia is secretly engaged on will take this idea additional (and should not even want an OS like Home windows), however the ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC idea comes nearer to what I feel will probably be than the rest I’ve seen. This factor is superior, so it’s my Product of the Week.
