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What is an NPU?
An NPU is a small chip inside a phone or laptop that is built to run AI tasks quickly while using little battery.
- Category Hardware
- Also called neural processing unit
- Updated 20 Oct 2026
NPU, explained simply
NPU stands for neural processing unit. It is a part of the chip that is made just for AI work.
It does AI jobs like blurring a video background or recognizing speech. It uses far less power than a GPU for these small jobs.
That means your laptop or phone can do some AI tasks on the device itself, without sending your data to the internet.
On ITG Now, our daily AI news stories sometimes explain when a new phone or laptop adds an NPU for AI features.
Related terms
GPUCPUEdge AIAI PCAI chipApple Silicon
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Questions people ask about NPU
NPU vs GPU: what is the difference?
A GPU is a bigger chip good at heavy AI and graphics. An NPU is smaller and saves power, so it suits everyday AI tasks on a device.
Do I need an NPU to use AI?
No. Most AI tools run online and need no special chip. An NPU just helps some features run on your device.
What does an NPU do in a laptop?
It runs small AI tasks, like noise removal or live captions, quickly and without draining much battery.