On paper, Lenovo Group and Dell Applied sciences are remarkably alike, however the two corporations are organized and run in a different way. That can grow to be clear to most who examine final week’s Lenovo Tech World 2024 occasion to Dell’s comparable occasion subsequent month.
On the coronary heart of the distinction is the character of each corporations’ acquisitions and government management. Lenovo’s management is geographically numerous, making it a really world firm, whereas Dell’s is primarily centralized within the U.S.
Though Michael Dell was instrumental within the firm’s progress, he seems to have virtually retired in place. In the meantime, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing, referred to as YY, continues to be a vibrant a part of the corporate’s administration.
This distinction permits Lenovo to maneuver way more decisively on trade adjustments, whereas Dell seems unable to make huge strikes and has to endure large 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 attempting to promote an idea that the agency doesn’t appear to know how you can use but. Dell’s advertising is doing an honest job of masking for these shortcomings, however the layoffs indicate most prospects should not fooled.
Let’s focus on among 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 usually 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 instances.
Lenovo opened with an illustration that includes a person with superior ALS who can not communicate and might solely transfer her eyes. However Lenovo had usual an AI answer for her in order that, utilizing AI, she may discuss 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 masking what it’s doing for schooling with AI. Training is attention-grabbing as a result of whereas it enormously impacts the world, the section just isn’t very worthwhile. Customized studying for college students utilizing AI may very well be a large profit, because it ought to higher have interaction these college students and considerably enhance the effectiveness of schooling throughout all demographics.
Automated AI quizzes coupled with courses that train utilizing a number of AIs to create extra compelling paperwork and stories ought to much better put together college students for the AI future than another current curriculum.
Each issues informed me that Lenovo is extra about making a distinction than making a revenue, which is extremely vital when speaking a couple of know-how that might get rid of many roles.
Lenovo made it clear that it’s not engaged on AI to switch folks however as a device that may make college students, folks with disabilities, and workers extra helpful slightly than redundant over time. This method stands in stark distinction to Dell’s current AI-related layoffs.
Lenovo’s AI Library
One of many extra attention-grabbing choices on the occasion was the Lenovo AI Library. Most corporations 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 prospects achieve the insights they should make knowledgeable AI options.
Too many distributors are advertising AI as if it had been an finish in itself, just like how digital transformation was as soon as promoted slightly than a device to realize particular enterprise targets. This could make sure that Lenovo’s prospects succeed whereas most different efforts are nonetheless, sadly, incurring vital failures.
Blended Hybrid AI
The place Lenovo stands out with regards to these efforts is the mixing of a number of AIs into an answer.
Like folks, AIs should not all equal and are finest fitted to the duties they had been designed to deal with. Nonetheless, many tasks require numerous expertise, usually 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 mentioning the important nature of paralegals. These individuals are overworked, and far of what they do requires large quantities of analysis, the place a mistake could make the distinction between successful 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 important given how a lot injury social media instruments like TikTok are doing to them. Using AI on this context may tremendously cut back the rising despair and behavioral issues right now’s children 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 legendary for vendor battle.
Lenovo collaborates surprisingly intently with its suppliers, which has paid dividends up to now with workstations. Lenovo uniquely adopted AMD’s Threadripper and virtually instantly took workstation management. Right this moment, Lenovo’s closeness with Nvidia is what has paid off. Lenovo showcased what’s arguably the perfect Nvidia Blackwell answer, which is cooled with Lenovo’s Sixth-generation warm-water cooling know-how, Neptune.
Blackwell is extremely highly effective but in addition makes use of numerous energy and generates a substantial amount of warmth. Neptune cools the half cost-effectively, which addresses two of the shortcomings related to an element on this class. Neptune is right now’s most generally used and environment friendly cooling know-how for knowledge facilities.
Car Computing and Robotics
Over a decade in the past, Dell predicted at Dell World that robotics would grow to be the subsequent huge factor for enterprises. Autonomous automobiles have since emerged because the main class of autonomous robots, with different forms of robots additionally growing. This 12 months, Lenovo strengthened this concept by showcasing present options, whereas Dell has but to comply with via on its prediction.
Working with Nvidia, Lenovo showcased a Blackwell-based drive answer for automobiles 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 drawback with that firm on account of a scarcity of clear management and willingness to take important dangers.
Lenovo additionally highlighted its model of the autonomous robotic canine. Different corporations have superior robotic canine, however Lenovo is the primary in its class to do that.
Lenovo’s 6-legged robotic displayed at Tech World 2024 (Picture by Creator)
As well as, whereas Lenovo just isn’t 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 car and autonomous robotic coaching.
Wrapping Up
Often, an OEM surprises me, however I’ve been upset by how corporations like Dell have approached AI gross sales and deployment up to now. Many should not but utilizing AI extensively themselves and, consequently, lack the understanding wanted to drive profitable implementations. Lenovo, nevertheless, isn’t simply pushing AI; it’s providing full AI options — from schooling to robotics — positioning itself and its prospects for the way forward for AI.
For me, it was the work in schooling that I discovered to be essentially the most compelling. Know-how is doing large hurt to children now, and we have to prioritize technological options to handle this important drawback. I discovered a kindred coronary heart in Lenovo; its focus right here may save many children from unsure futures.
ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC Idea
(Picture by Creator)
I sometimes put merchandise you should purchase 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 interest, and I usually watch movies on how to do that whereas engaged on my automobiles. The issue is that seeing the display as I transfer across the automobile normally requires that I reposition the pill or PC a number of instances, however my palms are greasy and might make a multitude of that {hardware}, to not point out that there are occasions when my palms are in any other case engaged.
The ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC idea seems like an everyday laptop computer, however the display rotates to comply with you across the room. So, if you’re cooking, engaged on a mission (like a automotive), or in any other case shifting round, the display mechanically strikes to comply with you. This demo video is fairly cool:
One of many Amazon Alexa variations did this a number 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 look at.
The PC that Nvidia is secretly engaged on will take this idea additional (and will not even want an OS like Home windows), however the ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC idea comes nearer to what I believe it will likely be than the rest I’ve seen. This factor is superior, so it’s my Product of the Week.
