Lenovo Unveils AI Stick and AI Display: Bringing AI Capabilities to Non-AI PCs

Lenovo's paving the way for AI everywhere with a plug-in local AI stick that adds an NPU to any PC or laptop

The device is compact, around 9cm long, and requires a Thunderbolt port If you want to benefit from on-device AI capabilities but aren't currently in the market for one of the many fancy new laptops with built-in NPUs, Lenovo is working on a couple of intriguing solutions. The first of these is the AI Display, which is a screen that has a built-in discrete NPU that not only adds intelligent features to the monitor but can also add AI functionality to non-AI laptops or desktops. The other is the AI Stick, a small brick-like device that connects to any non-NPU-equipped PC. Both of these concepts were showcased at MWC 2025, and while there's no word on pricing or availability for either device yet, I can't imagine Lenovo will want to hang around too long before launching them. Although we don't know the dimensions of the AI Stick, based on the render that Lenovo has shared with a USB-C cable plugged into it, it looks to be about 9cm long - so pretty tiny. Lenovo says of the AI Stick that it will give "users with a non-NPU-equipped PC access to advanced AI features such as local Large Language Models (LLM) and AI-enhanced graphics apps on their device." The company goes on to explain that the device "contains a 32-TOPS NPU that connects to a PC via a USB-C Thunderbolt port to allow the PC to use Lenovo AI Now functionalities and can also be plugged into a wall socket to unleash maximum performance for demanding AI tasks." Lenovo AI Now is the PC maker's personal assistant designed to boost productivity and automate tasks on the company's various AI-powered devices. While the AI Stick, like the AI Display, is a great idea, it's one that's sadly limited by the fact that any PC you use it on will need a Thunderbolt port. If you were hoping to give AI smarts to that older laptop or desktop, it looks like you're going to be out of luck.

Lenovo showcases a USB-C connected AI Stick with a 32 TOPS NPU on board

This could be a handy portable cure for AI FoMO, if there was any. Lenovo has taken the wraps off the Lenovo AI Stick at MWC 2025 in Barcelona. The idea behind the product is right there in the name, and this time, the 'AI' isn't gratuitous. This USB-C Thunderbolt connected stick conceals a 32 TOPS NPU to enable those local AI-accelerated goodies Microsoft and its PC making partners are trying to convince you are the best thing since sliced bread. However, Lenovo's thumb-stick-sized device is flagged as a "proof of concept" for now. Perhaps because the Lenovo AI Stick is a concept, we don't have many tech specs for the product. All we know from the specifications point of view is that the concept device includes an NPU that can deliver 32 TOPS. It also connects to the PC "via a USB-C Thunderbolt port," according to the official PR from Lenovo. Lastly, Lenovo suggests that the NPU will run faster if the AI Stick is powered with its adapter (connector on the side), which makes us wonder about USB-C-powered performance and the power requirements of this device. It would be interesting to know who made this add-on NPU, but Lenovo isn't forthcoming with that detail. The major PC and device maker indicates that the AI Stick will deliver AI features, such as local Large Language Models (LLM) and AI-enhanced graphics apps, on the devices it connects with. Moreover, it is compatible with Lenovo's AI Now suite, which needs Windows 11 and an x86 CPU to run. So, if you fancy a little bit of NPU-accelerated local LLM fun, but your current PC doesn't have such hardware, Lenovo's AI Stick may be a good solution. It may appeal to those with a modern powerful processor without an NPU or a slower NPU (Hi, Arrow Lake). But remember, the Microsoft Copilot requirement is 40+ TOPS for wider AI feature support, so this stick isn't even up to that level. Last but certainly not least, Lenovo also thinks the AI Stick might be of interest to those who already have NPUs or even discrete GPUs in their systems as it can "save GPU occupancy and reduce thermals for normal AI PCs." Lenovo has an expansive range of wares at MWC this week. Earlier today, we published two detailed articles stuffed full of Lenovo devices. The first zoomed in on the range of new ThinkPads on show, as well as a Yoga device featuring an RTX 5070. The second pondered concept designs like a solar-powered Yoga PC, the ThinkBook Codename Flip with extending screen (which we have seen a few times before), a 3D-screen laptop, and some other concepts leveraging AI smarts.

MWC 2025: Lenovo's AI Display and Stick Could Breathe New Life into Your Old PCs

You can plug in an old PC to this display, and let it process AI LLMs locally. MWC 2025 is in full swing, and Lenovo has brought their A-game to the event this year. The company showed off its new AI-powered laptops, along with proof-of-concept laptops. However, that's not all. Lenovo is also demonstrating its concept AI Display and AI Stick with dedicated NPU to add the AI touch to your non-AI PC. The Lenovo AI Display is a curved screen monitor that features a discrete NPU (Neural Processing Unit) inside. This allows older PCs or laptops connected with this display to harness the power of AI without additional hardware. It should let your computer process local Large Language Models (LLM), user requests, and intents and execute requests. This onboard AI NPU, also lets the monitor adjust, rotate or tilt to comfortably match the viewing angle for the user automatically. Along with the AI Display, they also revealed a similar concept device called the Lenovo AI Stick. This functions in the same way as the monitor, featuring an NPU that you can plug into your non-NPU-equipped PC. Then access "advanced AI features such as local Large Language Models (LLM) and AI-enhanced graphics apps on their device". The stick itself connects via USB type-C Thunderbolt port to your laptop or PC and comes packing a 32 TOPS NPU (Tera Operations per Second). You can also plug it into a wall outlet and then connect it to your desktop for maximum performance in demanding AI tasks. This is a good alternative if you don't want to pay for the entire display, and just need a device to leverage Lenovo AI Now functionalities.

Lenovo AI display comes with a dedicated NPU that control the monitor and bestows AI powers to devices

There's no word on pricing or availability, but hopefully Lenovo will bring it out soon You can't have failed to notice, but AI is everywhere these days. It's being embedded in hardware, software, and services, making it a key selling point for new devices. If you're looking to buy a high-end business laptop, chances are it will feature the latest Intel or AMD chip with a built-in NPU and likely include a Copilot button for AI-powered assistance as well. At MWC 2025, Lenovo introduced a number of new laptops, including upgrades to its ThinkPad and ThinkBook lineups, and of course they have all been optimized to handle AI workflows. If you're in the market for a new laptop and want to use it for AI tasks, you're spoiled for choice. But what if you don't want or need a new laptop, or can't afford the latest model, but still want to benefit from on-device AI? The answer might be to purchase a new monitor. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but one of Lenovo's proof-of-concepts unveiled at MWC 2025 is an AI screen which can transfer its smart powers to a connected laptop or desktop system. Called the AI Display, Lenovo's concept comes with a discrete NPU inside the screen, not that you'd be able to tell by looking at it. Lenovo says this is another demonstration of its commitment to "smarter technology for all." The dNPU not only expands the monitor's capabilities - automatically rotating, elevating, and tilting the screen to give users the best viewing angle based on their seating position - but also adds intelligent functionality to non-AI PCs. Lenovo says, "With the AI Display with NPU inside, non-AI PCs will be able to use Large Language Models, receiving commands from the user, analyzing and recognizing the intent, and allowing the Assistant to execute the request." It's only a concept at the moment, as is the AI Stick (also unveiled at MWC), which brings artificial intelligence to non-AI PCs without requiring you to buy a new screen. There's no hint of when (or if) Lenovo plans to bring the AI Display to market, or how much it might cost. It is a genius idea though, and one that could be a welcome gamechanger, provided it launches soon enough to capitalize on the AI boom.

Lenovo is putting AI in everything -- here's what they can do

New proof-of-concept devices show how Lenovo is thinking about AI in 2025 Lenovo carted a smorgasbord of new products to Barcelona this week to show them off during Mobile World Congress 2025, including some promising proof-of-concept devices for PCs. These goofy gadgets could easily be missed in the cavalcade of tech news coming out of MWC 2025, so I wanted to quickly run down the highlights so you can go about your day with a better sense of where Windows 11 laptops and PCs are headed in the year to come. Perhaps unsurprisingly, AI is the buzzword du jour at MWC this year, and Lenovo is hopping on the bandwagon with proof-of-concept devices that put AI chips in a monitor and a USB-C power bank so you can add more AI to your PC. It's a neat idea, but what impresses me more is Lenovo's simple idea for a USB-C power bank that charges via a detachable solar cell. As you'll see below, it has an unfolding solar panel that can be easily mounted or held to charge on the go. However, note that since these are all proof-of-concept devices, there's no pricing or release date to be announced. Here's what we know so far about all three prototype designs. Perhaps the most intriguing proof-of-concept product that Lenovo brought to MWC 2025 is a display with "AI inside" thanks to a chip with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) being built into the display. This is just a proof of concept, so it's not a final product and doesn't have much in the way of obvious utility. However, Lenovo claims that putting a chip in the monitor not only helps it do more as a monitor, it also means that "non-AI PCs will be able to use Large Language Models" because the monitor's processor will somehow help your PC by "receiving commands from the user, analyzing and recognizing the intent, and allowing the [AI] Assistant to execute the request." On top of that, this proof-of-concept monitor has motors inside that allow it to automatically rise, lower, rotate and tilt to give you the optimal viewing angle. If you'd rather not put AI in your monitor, Lenovo also took a shot at slotting it into a stick you can plug into a PC for extra AI power when you want it. At MWC 2025, the company also showed off its new Lenovo AI Stick, another proof-of-concept device with an NPU capable of achieving 32 TOPS (trillion operations per second). The AI Stick is designed to plug into your PC via USB-C to give you access to "Lenovo AI Now functionalities," but it also appears to have a power cable that plugs into a wall socket. However, what we've heard so far suggests you don't have to plug the AI Stick into a wall socket to use it. According to Lenovo, the AI Stick "can also be plugged into a wall socket to unleash maximum performance for demanding AI tasks," suggesting external power is optional but required to use this proof-of-concept device to its full potential. Last but not least, Lenovo brought a solar power proof-of-concept kit to MWC 2025 as an example of how you might use solar power to power your laptop on the go in the future. It's a pretty simple system that effectively gives you a small detachable solar panel you can connect to a bag, tree, backpack or anything in a sunny spot nearby. The Solar Power Kit then generates power from the light of the sun and stores it in a USB-C power bank for later use. Lenovo always brings a slew of new products to MWC, but the proof-of-concept devices are always my favorite because they're the most intriguing. None of these ideas may end up making it to market in actual products, but they give you a sense of where the company is headed and what the future of computing might look like. I don't know about you, but personally, I care a lot less about using AI than I do about being able to charge and power my devices using sunlight anywhere I go. That Solar Power Kit has to be the most exciting proof-of-concept device I've seen so far out of MWC 2025, and I can't wait to see how Lenovo applies the idea to future products.