I found 7 Windows apps that use your PC’s NPU to improve efficiency and performance with AI — You might be surprised at what’s on the list
https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/apps-use-npu-ai-pcs
Publish Date: 2026-04-05 10:01:00
Source Domain: www.windowscentral.com
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Introduction of the Neural Processing Unit (NPU): Microsoft emphasized the NPU when introducing Copilot+ PCs, designed to run AI tasks locally more efficiently.
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Use of NPU in Third-Party Apps: The NPU is now spreading beyond Microsoft’s Copilot+ AI tools, making significant improvements in various third-party applications.
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Key Applications Utilizing NPU:
- Cephable: Offers AI-assisted alternative inputs, enabling adaptive controls via head, eye, or other motions, enhancing productivity and accessibility.
- Adobe Photoshop: Enhances photo editing capabilities like subject selection, background removal, and denoising, performing these tasks more efficiently with the NPU.
- Norton: Utilizes NPU for AI-powered scam protection, identifying deepfakes, phishing setups, and SMS scams while maintaining local data handling.
- Algoriddim djay Pro: Features a Neural Mix tool for isolating instruments and vocals, providing best-in-class separation quality with low latency.
- BufferZone NoCloud AI: Browser extension for detecting real-time phishing attacks, offering improved detection rates and lower latency.
- HP IQ: A personal intelligence layer facilitating workflow coordination and document analysis, leveraging the NPU for local AI processing.
- CapCut: AI-powered video editor that uses the NPU for background removal, face tracking, and AI effects, improving efficiency and reducing power draw.
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Impact of NPU on Performance and Accessibility: Applications utilizing the NPU enhance performance by offloading tasks from the CPU and GPU, reducing battery consumption and heat, while also improving accessibility for users with disabilities.
