Why and How Lenovo Is Outpacing the Competition in AI

On paper, Lenovo Group and Dell Technologies are remarkably alike, but the two companies are organized and run differently. That will become clear to most who compare last week’s Lenovo Tech World 2024 event to Dell’s similar event next month.

At the heart of the difference is the nature of both companies’ acquisitions and executive leadership. Lenovo’s leadership is geographically diverse, making it a truly global company, while Dell’s is primarily centralized in the U.S.

Although Michael Dell was instrumental in the company’s growth, he appears to have almost retired in place. Meanwhile, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing, known as YY, is still a vibrant part of the company’s management.

This difference allows Lenovo to move much more decisively on industry changes, while Dell appears unable to make big moves and has to undergo massive layoffs to make the same pivot to AI that Lenovo has already made.

Another difference is the extent to which Lenovo is using AI. It’s already using AI operationally and selling mature AI solutions, while Dell still appears stuck on trying to sell a concept that the firm does not seem to know how to use yet. Dell’s marketing is doing a decent job of covering for these shortcomings, but the layoffs imply most customers are not fooled.

Let’s discuss some of the highlights from Lenovo Tech World 2024. Then, we’ll close with my Product of the Week, an interesting, mechanized laptop that Lenovo highlighted at the event.

The Powerful Open

In the opening moments of an event like this, you can often see where a company’s heart and focus are. It might do something humorous or feature the leading offering, but occasionally, I am surprised, and this was one of those times.

Lenovo opened with a demonstration featuring an individual with advanced ALS who cannot speak and can only move her eyes. But Lenovo had fashioned an AI solution for her so that, using AI, she could talk again. This breakthrough is monumental for individuals with ALS, enabling both speech and online interaction.

This demonstration was incredibly powerful, and Lenovo followed up by covering what it’s doing for education with AI. Education is interesting because while it enormously impacts the world, the segment is not very profitable. Personalized learning for students using AI could be a massive benefit, as it should better engage those students and significantly increase the effectiveness of education across all demographics.

Automated AI quizzes coupled with classes that teach using multiple AIs to create more compelling documents and reports should far better prepare students for the AI future than any other existing curriculum.

Both things told me that Lenovo is more about making a difference than making a profit, which is incredibly important when talking about a technology that could eliminate many jobs.

Lenovo made it clear that it is not working on AI to replace people but as a tool that would make students, people with disabilities, and employees more valuable rather than redundant over time. This approach stands in stark contrast to Dell’s recent AI-related layoffs.

Lenovo’s AI Library

One of the more interesting offerings at the event was the Lenovo AI Library. Most companies are nowhere near as advanced as Lenovo in using AI. However, Lenovo’s journey to AI has created a massive amount of information. The company has now placed it in a library that can help its customers gain the insights they need to make informed AI solutions.

Too many vendors are marketing AI as if it were an end in itself, similar to how digital transformation was once promoted rather than a tool to achieve specific business goals. This should ensure that Lenovo’s customers succeed while most other efforts are still, unfortunately, incurring significant failures.

Blended Hybrid AI

Where Lenovo stands out when it comes to these efforts is the blending of multiple AIs into a solution.

Like people, AIs are not all equal and are best suited for the tasks they were designed to handle. However, many projects require diverse skills, often necessitating using multiple AI systems for successful completion. Lenovo’s hybrid AI approach is unique in recognizing this, offering greater real-world benefits and a higher likelihood of success.

One example of this was the Lenovo AI paralegal. My wife and I are watching the old TV show “Suits,” which does a surprisingly excellent job of pointing out the critical nature of paralegals. These people are overworked, and much of what they do requires massive amounts of research, where a mistake can make the difference between winning and losing a case.

Another powerful example was using AI for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. Qualified ABA practitioners are expensive, and only relatively wealthy children have access to this type of therapy, which is increasingly critical given how much damage social media tools like TikTok are doing to them. The use of AI in this context could tremendously reduce the growing depression and behavioral problems today’s kids are suffering.

Lenovo Supplier Partnerships

Lenovo has long had a robust partnering culture. Most OEMs are at arm’s length from their technology suppliers, and our industry is famous for vendor conflict.

Lenovo collaborates surprisingly closely with its suppliers, which has paid dividends in the past with workstations. Lenovo uniquely adopted AMD’s Threadripper and almost immediately took workstation leadership. Today, Lenovo’s closeness with Nvidia is what has paid off. Lenovo showcased what is arguably the best Nvidia Blackwell solution, which is cooled with Lenovo’s 6th-generation warm-water cooling technology, Neptune.

Blackwell is incredibly powerful but also uses a lot of power and generates a great deal of heat. Neptune cools the part cost-effectively, which addresses two of the shortcomings associated with a part in this class. Neptune is today’s most widely used and efficient cooling technology for data centers.

Vehicle Computing and Robotics

Over a decade ago, Dell predicted at Dell World that robotics would become the next big thing for enterprises. Autonomous vehicles have since emerged as the leading class of autonomous robots, with other types of robots also developing. This year, Lenovo reinforced this idea by showcasing current solutions, while Dell has yet to follow through on its prediction.

Working with Nvidia, Lenovo showcased a Blackwell-based drive solution for cars with 2000 TOPS (Trillions or Tera Operations per Second). High-performance AI PCs have only 40 TOPS. Dell looked at doing this over five years ago but never executed a growing problem with that company due to a lack of clear leadership and willingness to take critical risks.

Lenovo also highlighted its version of the autonomous robotic dog. Other firms have advanced robotic dogs, but Lenovo is the first in its class to do this.

Lenovo’s 6-legged robot displayed at Tech World 2024 (Photo by Author)

In addition, while Lenovo is not yet using Nvidia’s Omniverse for simulation training (it tends to leave training up to the customer), Lenovo is already anticipating that use, moving it toward the front of the line for automobile and autonomous robotic training.

Wrapping Up

Occasionally, an OEM surprises me, but I’ve been disappointed by how companies like Dell have approached AI sales and deployment to date. Many are not yet using AI extensively themselves and, as a result, lack the understanding needed to drive successful implementations. Lenovo, however, isn’t just pushing AI; it’s offering complete AI solutions — from education to robotics — positioning itself and its customers for the future of AI.

For me, it was the work in education that I found to be the most compelling. Technology is doing massive harm to kids now, and we need to prioritize technological solutions to address this critical problem. I found a kindred heart in Lenovo; its focus here could save many kids from uncertain futures.

ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC Concept

(Photo by Author)

I typically put products you can buy in this section, but I was so impressed with this concept that I am making an exception this week.

I have an expensive automotive hobby, and I often watch videos on how to do this while working on my cars. The problem is that seeing the screen as I move around the vehicle usually requires that I reposition the tablet or PC several times, but my hands are greasy and can make a mess of that hardware, not to mention that there are times when my hands are otherwise engaged.

The ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC concept looks like a regular laptop, but the screen rotates to follow you around the room. So, if you are cooking, working on a project (like a car), or otherwise moving around, the screen automatically moves to follow you. This demo video is pretty cool:

One of the Amazon Alexa versions did this a few years ago, and I found it incredibly useful, but the device always had to be plugged in. Plus, Alexa’s capabilities limited it, and since Alexa isn’t a PC, it couldn’t access the videos I wanted to watch.

The PC that Nvidia is secretly working on will take this concept further (and may not even need an OS like Windows), but the ThinkBook Auto Twist AI PC concept comes closer to what I think it will be than anything else I have seen. This thing is awesome, so it’s my Product of the Week.