Intel’s first announcement of Project Athena came in January 2019 at its CES event. A multi-national collaboration of Intel and its partner computer manufacturers to build smart, adaptable, readied, and high-functioning “advanced laptops”, which can work at multi-level connectivity.
The project aims at pushing laptop manufacturers to think beyond thinning and compacting mobile computers and commit themselves to develop laptops integrated with dominating technologies of the future, that would not only help in capitalizing the professional enterprises but would optimize the user experience with mobile computers at the highest level. Keeping that vision in mind, the Computex 2019 showcased the first set of specifications for Athena 1.0.
Why Athena?
The modern-day laptops have taken professional enterprise work and individual computer usage to portability and mobility. Integrated hardware for Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, and LAN ports have allowed laptops to do everything that a desktop can. However, despite creating innovations in this compact technology, users have always compromised in regard to their functioning.
Battery issues, slow charging, lower connectivity speeds, and degradation in performance with time. Athena aims at developing high mobility and connectivity laptops integrated with AI and smart functions to make every aspect of laptop usage almost 100% efficient.
Who is Involved in Project Athena?
Bryant announced that Project Athena has already signed up one-hundred companies on official terms to take part in open experimental labs established by Intel at various locations and conduct in-depth research on the subject of AI integration and smart functioning along with prolonging battery life. The companies have given a green light to commit their teams of qualified engineers and experts to start the learning phase of Project Athena’s Athena 1.0 by the 2019 holiday season. Lenovo would be the first of these one-hundred tech giants to launch the first Athena 1.0 system in collaboration with Intel.
Lenovo Smart Assist to Power Athena with AI Features
Lenovo consumer Devices’ Sr. Vice President, Johnson Jia announced that the Lenovo Smart Assist would be powering the initial AI integration in Athena 1.0 laptops under its Lenovo Yoga Series. Intel and Lenovo have claimed that leveraged by Athena’s competency, the new upgraded version of Lenovo Smart Assist is going to upgrade laptop functions. While it would surely be just an initiation into an AI-integrated laptop, it has high possibilities of opening doors for research and improvements in AI-based computer experience and machine learning.
Intel Ice Lake Core 10 Processors
With Athena, Intel decided to upgrade the processors as well. It was a necessity that a laptop so advanced would require a high-functioning CPU. In that wake, Intel announced its 10th Generation Core ice lake processors, which would mark the first processor built to support AI-integration in PCs. The 10 nm Ice lake processors are designed on an all new core architecture and a new Gen 11 graphics engine. Ice Lake would also be the first processor to have integrated Wifi 6 technology, that would act as an upgrade to connectivity over the Athena 1.0 laptops. Intel Ice Lake processors are now in production and ready for the first shipment. This would mean that other Intel partners would soon work on their first respect Athena 1.0 smart PCs.
While Athena 1.0 still has a season to launch with Lenovo, Bryant stated that this just “ a scratch on the surface”, and that Intel has many more plans for Athena in the coming months. With amplified professionalism at enterprise levels and change in course of individual user level by high-end graphics, battery life, and long-time video playback support, Athena 1.0 may be a next-gen revolution in mobile computer technology. The price is again a mystery for Athena 1.0 laptops, but given the smart features, do you think they’d fall within the range of a normal consumer’s pockets.
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