AI Companion FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
TOP QUESTIONS
Q1) What is HP AI Companion?
A1) HP AI Companion is a personal assistant generative AI tool to help users be more productive using their HP next gen AI PC. A next gen AI PC has a Neural Processing Unit supporting 40-60 TOPS.
Q2) What are the AI experiences that HP AI Companion offers?
A2) Our feature set is planned to include a limited set of AI tools below:
- Libraries/Analyze – enables users to explore and interact with their selected personal files to get actionable insights. For example, you can ask to compare insights, summarize and highlight key points, and even filter specific data.
- The ability toggle between on-device or cloud modes. On device means all your processing from your query to generating a response occurs within your own PC system and requires 32GB or more memory. Cloud means the processing from your query to generating a response occurs using a cloud provider, users may choose which experience they want to use to be more productive.
- Ask – ability to ask general knowledge questions. For example, you can ask to find relevant information on a topic, to summarize a long article, or to create a paper, blog or article. This experience is available on the home page when a library is not selected.
- Perform – Works quietly in the background to maintain an optimal set of drivers and firmware while also boosting performance through intelligent settings tailored to your preferences and getting personalized troubleshooting assistance - all in one spot.
- Spotlight – Spotlight is a dedicated section within AI Companion that showcases exclusive offers and solutions from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). You can discover, and access innovative AI software solutions tailored to enhance their AI Companion experience.
Our vision is to add more capabilities and AI tools with future releases to ensure our customers can take full advantage of HP’s hardware and software capabilities.
Q3) What are the benefits of “on-device” and “cloud” modes?
A3) The benefits of on device mode include:
- Ability to access Analyze and Ask assistant even when offline, no internet connection needed
- An added layer of security and privacy since your queries, responses and data stay on your device
The benefits of cloud include:
- The flexibility and scalability of having access to wider knowledge base to answer a user’s query
- Ability to quickly find relevant information
- Data stays secure with enterprise security
Q4) What of the user’s data will be on device vs cloud?
A4) Selecting on device provides a fully local experience end-to-end which includes but not limited to, to where the user’s files are stored, to embeddings processing, creation of a vectorized database and how the data ‘chunks’ are processed to answer the query. None of your data leaves the device.
When in the cloud experience, the user’s data still stays secure with access to a wider knowledge base. We use Azure enterprise security along with parts of the processing that stay on your device such as the user’s files, embeddings processing, along with the user’s vectorized database.
Q5) What is Snip-to-Prompt and where can I find it?
A5) This allows you to clip content on your screen and use for added prompt context. This feature is in the Home section of the app using the Ask assistant via cloud mode.
Q6) What are the requirements to run HP AI Companion?
A6) HP AI Companion is software designed to run on HP next generation AI PCs. This includes having an NPU chipset, running at speeds of 40-60 TOPS on the PC. The PC must also have a minimum 16GB RAM on the device. For on device use, system requires 32GB RAM and will require up to 4.5GB storage on your device.
Q7) How can I find HP AI Companion on my Next-Gen AI PC?
A7) Upon first boot, the HP AI Companion app will be found on your task bar. It will auto launch 60 minutes after unboxing. You can also find HP AI Companion by clicking on your Windows icon and searching for “HP AI Companion” OR you can download the app from the Microsoft App Store under “HP AI Companion.” Available for download on HP next gen AI PCs with a 40-60 TOPS NPU.
Q8) How can I find HP AI Companion if I have deleted it?
A8) You can always download the app from the Microsoft App Store under “HP AI Companion available for HP next gen AI PC’s with a 40-60 TOPS NPU.
Q9) Do I need an account to access HP AI Companion and is there a fee to use the app?
A9) All HP next gen AI PCs will have HP AI Companion installed on the task bar and you must create or sign into an HP account to use the app. There is no fee to use HP AI Companion today.
Q10) What models are we using for HP AI Companion?
A10) The models currently running HP AI Companion uses LLM Phi 3.5 for the on device experience and GPT-4o for the cloud experience. Please note: HP reserves the right to change these models anytime.
Q11) Does AI Companion use my responses to train the models?
A11) No, AI Companion does not use your responses to train the model. The conversations you have with GPT-4o are not used for training purposes. The model is trained on a diverse set of data sources. If using the on device experience, all prompts, queries and responses remain on device securing your privacy at all times.
Q12) What languages are supported for HP AI Companion?
A12) English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese are supported for the next-gen AI PCs but we plan to be expand to include additional localizations in the future
Q13) Can I use AI Companion offline without an internet connection?
A13) Once the user is signed into AI Companion and the sign in token has not expired, the user would be able to use the Ask and Analyze assistants in on device mode and any other local capabilities of the app. Cloud mode capabilities, however are disabled when the PC is offline
Libraries/Analyze
Q1) What is Analyze?
A1) Analyze allows users to interact with their personal files in a conversational way and receive more focused responses. In order to achieve this, users will need to create a library of their selected personal files so they can start a conversation in the context of those files.
Q2) How many libraries can I create?
A2) Users can now create up to 10 libraries.
Q3) What is the file size that libraries can be?
A3) For the best experience, we recommend uploading files no larger than 100 MB per library.
Q4) What are file types supported?
A4) Currently we can support the following file types: .pdf, .txt., .docx
Q5) Will I receive different answers based on the mode I’m in?
A5) LLMs are models that generate text by predicting the likelihood of different words or characters appearing in a certain order. They generate a range of possible text options based on probability. This means that even if you ask the same question in cloud mode vs the on-device mode, you will likely receive two different answers, though they should be directionally similar in meaning.
Perform
Q1) What is Perform and how does it optimize my laptop?
A1) Perform maintains an optimal set of system drivers, BIOS and firmware to get the best performance from your Next Gen AI PC with a 40-60 TOPS NPU. For example, the performance assistant will automatically work in the background of your system and ensure you have the best-known configuration with little to no downtime or interruptions. Perform also has added functionality to adjust basic PC settings based on preferences through the prompt such as mute my microphone or increase my volume by 30% while also receiving personalized troubleshooting assistance on HP products.
Q2) Is there a fee attached using Perform?
A2) No, there is no purchase necessary to use Perform on your Next Gen AI PC. Once enrolled in Perform, you will benefit from automatic configuration updates.
Q3) How do I enroll in the Perform tool?
A3) You can enroll in Perform when setting up and registering your new PC. When setting up your PC, you will need to create or sign in to your HP account. From there, you will allow HP to maintain your device with the best-known configuration and settings, enrolling in the Perform updates.
If you don’t enroll in Perform during registration, you can also enroll through the HP AI Companion app and enrolling in the Perform tab.
Q4) Can I see what Perform is doing to my laptop?
A4) Yes. You will receive notifications within the AI Companion app when it applies the latest best-known configuration to your PC. You can also review a dashboard of your most recent updates or any changes made for PC settings in the Perform tab of the app.
Q5) What do I do if I have trouble with the Perform tool?
A5) If you need help with the Perform tool, please contact HP Support at this link https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_10594934-10594979-16 for further troubleshooting assistance.
Q6) Can I un-enroll from Perform?
A6) Yes, you can unenroll from Perform at any time through the HP AI Companion app.
Q7) How is HP using your data for Perform?
A7) As part of our Privacy Statement, HP collects key information about your system’s performance and communicates it to the cloud. HP uses this data to determine which drivers, software, and BIOS files are available for your PC. The Perform assistant will automatically inform your PC to obtain the best configuration files to download and install – providing an optimal PC experience.
Spotlight
Q1) What is Spotlight?
A1) Spotlight is a dedicated section within AI Companion that showcases exclusive offers and solutions from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). It serves as a curated space where users can discover, and access innovative AI software solutions tailored to enhance their AI Companion experience. By featuring a select group of ISVs, Spotlight ensures that users have access to high-quality, relevant, and cutting-edge AI solutions that can significantly improve their productivity and overall user experience. Please note: offers may vary by region and hardware.
Data Collection Notice
Device Data Collection and Usage Notice
HP collects and analyzes information about your device(s). This data, sometimes called diagnostic or telemetry data, is used in several ways to provide you with a seamless and customized experience. Sharing information about your device(s) helps HP improve the performance and operation of HP products, solutions, services, and support. We use this data as feedback to help innovate new products, features, and services for our customers. Your device information allows us to provide alerts, timely firmware & software updates, and warranty support. With your permission, information about your device(s) also enables us to give you relevant and personalized experiences through in-app offers and advertisements.
Applications or HP Services with account management, device management, gaming, security, or multimedia features may use additional functional data necessary to provide services or functionality. Functional data is separate from information about your device(s). Functional data includes application settings, feature usage, and other information related to specific applications or components. With your permission, HP can use aggregated functional data, or "analytics”, to gain insights into the most important features and how users interact with specific applications. Sharing functional data with HP allows us to drive meaningful improvements and new features for your products.
This notice describes the data collection and usage along with your privacy choices. This supplemental notice supports the HP Privacy Statement, which can be found here.(www.hp.com/privacy)
Data Collection
Necessary Data collection
- HP collects and analyses necessary data to deliver basic functionality. HP uses your data to generate responses through Artificial Intelligence agents which recognize and generate text based on your input.
LLM Data collection
- HP does not collect any user data to train LLM.
Application Data
- Some HP applications also collect data necessary to provide services or basic functionality.
- Application data includes application settings, feature usage, device information, application ID, and other information.
- HP provides you with choices regarding optional data HP may collect as noted in the purposes of use section below.
Purposes of Use
- Customer Experience: At HP, we are dedicated to delivering the best customer experience to you. We use information about your device to provide services, offer customizations, enhance performance, and detect and fix problems.
- Product Support & Improvement: HP uses information about your device to drive improvements, resulting in better performance and enhancements to current and future HP products. This data helps us identify issues in specific configurations of settings and applications and patch them quickly so that you can get the most out of your device.
- Marketing & Advertising: If you agree to let us contact you, we will send you product and service offers, support updates, market research opportunities, or other event news. Sharing data with HP for marketing allows us to personalize your news and offers to make them more relevant and interesting to you. Each promotional email you receive allows you to unsubscribe from future promotional emails.
Data Minimization and Retention
We will keep personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and then we will securely delete or destroy it.
Security
HP uses the best information security practices and controls to secure your personal data. Both security and privacy are embedded throughout our design and development processes. HP uses technical measures like encryption to protect your device information and functional data. We follow the principle of least privileged access to ensure that your personal data can only be accessed on a need-to-know basis.
Managing Your Personal Data
HP knows and respects that your personal data belongs to you. We want to make sure you control how your data is used. We work to be transparent about our data usage and provide the information you need to make informed choices. To withdraw your consent at any time, go to your privacy settings. HP presents a user interface to allow you to manage your privacy settings. Otherwise, HP will not collect your data. Examples include the HP Privacy Settings application, myHP, and Omen Gaming hub.
AI Companion Data Categories
Examples of categories and data that HP uses for Device Health are described below.
Categories
Description
Device Identification
Device Identification data provides context for other Device Health data, including the serial number, product ID, Platform ID, and model name. It also includes general information about the data such as the date and time it was processed, the data provider name and version, and the country where the device was registered.
App Usage Telemetry
App usage telemetry includes feature usage, feature failures, app memory usage, app crashes, and more.
Device Clock
Clock data helps determine the accuracy of the real-time device clock vs. the Windows Operating System (OS) time. Windows OS time is synched periodically to a synch server.
Device Clock data includes information such as the source of the time used to synch with the Windows OS time and the difference between the two times.
API Usage
Tracks the number of times the API is used. This helps with understanding usage patterns.
API Failures
Monitors the number of times the API fails. This helps in assessing the quality of the service.
System Errors
Keeps count of system errors, including the types of errors and the number of recovery attempts. This is crucial for diagnosing and improving system reliability.
LLM Response Times
Measures how quickly the language models respond, whether they are run on the cloud or locally. This is important for optimizing performance.
System Usage Matrix for Queries
Details the resource usage for each request, including CPU, GPU, RAM, and other system resources. This helps in understanding the system's load and performance.
Prompt Sizes
Tracks the size of the queries made, including the minimum, maximum, and average sizes. This information is useful for optimizing query handling.
Library Size
Provides information on the size of the GPT library being used. This is helpful for managing storage and ensuring efficient operation.
Responsible AI Usage Matrix
Monitors the use of prompt filtering, including the number of filters requested and the types of filters (e.g., toxicity, ethical). This ensures that AI usage aligns with ethical standards.
Windows
Windows data provides information about Windows events contained in the event log, running processes, services, updates, and environment variables.
Event data includes the source of the event (a log, for example), the logging level (for example, errors, alerts, informational messages, warnings, etc.), and other attributes about the event, such as the message text.
Windows performance data includes information on Windows boot-up and shutdown time. This information helps troubleshoot the root cause of delays in startup and shutdown. The data includes the Windows event ID and level (for example, Critical, Error, Warning, etc.), information about the total time to boot or shutdown, information about the possible source of the slowdown (for example, the name, publisher, version, etc.), and diagnostic codes.
Process data includes the process name, description, the username of the session running the process, the time the process was started, and whether the process has a visible window. In addition, it gives information on memory and CPU usage, such as the percentage of time the process used the CPU and how much it used, the amount of memory used, and the number of read/write memory operations and bytes generated by the process.
Service data includes the service’s name, description, whether the service can be stopped, severity of any errors that occurred including the exit code, type of service (for example driver, adapter, process, etc.), start mode (for example started on boot, automatically during startup, manually by the user, etc.), state (for example Stopped, Running Paused, etc.), and status (for example OK, Error, etc.).
Update data includes information such as the update ID, suggested download priority (Low, Normal, High), minimum and maximum download size, type (Software or Driver), the Microsoft Security Response Center severity rating (Critical, Important, Moderate, Low), status (Installed, Downloaded, Not Downloaded), and the Microsoft Knowledge Base ID associated with the update.
Windows environment variable data includes the names of the variables, whether they are system or user variables, and their values.