Lenovo and Motorola Launch Qira On-Device AI Assistant

Lenovo has introduced Qira, a new cross-device AI assistant designed to function across Lenovo computers and Motorola smartphones. Unlike traditional applications, Qira operates at the system level, ensuring it is 'always present' for users without the need to switch interfaces.

The assistant is built to provide proactive suggestions and utilizes machine learning to understand user context and personal patterns over time. Key capabilities include writing emails, transcribing and translating meetings, and summarizing missed content. Lenovo highlights a privacy-first approach, utilizing a hybrid architecture that prioritizes on-device processing. The company states that customer data will not be collected without explicit user permission.

Lenovo has officially unveiled its entry into the crowded digital assistant market with the announcement of Qira. This new AI is designed as a cross-device solution, bridging the gap between Lenovo's personal computers and Motorola's smartphone lineup. The company aims to create a seamless experience where the AI is not a separate entity but an integral part of the operating system.

According to the announcement, Qira is set to arrive later this quarter. It is engineered to live directly at the system level of Lenovo devices. This architectural choice eliminates the friction of opening or switching to a specific assistant interface. Lenovo describes the user experience as 'always present,' implying that the AI is ready to assist immediately upon demand.

While the system is persistent, it is designed to respect user agency. Users can choose to ignore Qira entirely, and the software will remain quiet if no assistance is requested. However, for active users, the assistant will occasionally surface proactive suggestions.

The core intelligence of Qira relies on a machine learning system that evolves alongside the user. Lenovo promises that the AI will develop a 'living model' of the user's world. This model is designed to understand context, continuity, and personal patterns over time, allowing for increasingly relevant assistance.

In practical terms, the assistant offers a suite of productivity features common to modern AI tools. These capabilities include:

• Drafting and writing emails
• Transcribing spoken meetings
• Translating languages in real-time
• Providing summaries of content the user may have missed

These features align with the standard offerings currently available in the market, positioning Qira as a direct competitor to existing on-device assistants.

Addressing growing concerns over data security, Lenovo has outlined the privacy architecture for Qira. The system employs a hybrid architecture that 'prioritizes' on-device processing. This approach ensures that sensitive data is handled locally on the user's device rather than being immediately sent to external servers.

The company explicitly stated that Qira 'won't collect customer data without the user's permission.' Furthermore, Lenovo emphasized the ethical standards guiding the project, stating: "Every aspect of the Lenovo Qira experience is designed to be secure, ethical, and accountable."

Questions remain regarding how Qira will coexist with other AI assistants already present on devices, such as Copilot and Gemini. It is currently unclear if the addition of Qira will increase the processing load on these devices, as Lenovo has not yet responded to inquiries regarding these specific technical interactions.

The launch of Qira enters a complex market landscape regarding AI adoption. While Lenovo moves forward with a dedicated proprietary assistant, recent data suggests that user uptake of similar integrated tools has been varied. Reporting from earlier periods indicated that Copilot had reached a plateau of approximately 20 million weekly users in 2024.

In contrast, standalone AI chatbots have seen explosive growth. During that same period, ChatGPT grew to 400 million weekly users. By late 2025, that number reportedly reached 800 million weekly users for OpenAI's chatbot. This disparity highlights a potential challenge for hardware manufacturers introducing their own AI ecosystems. The success of Qira will likely depend on whether users prefer an integrated, system-level assistant or standalone, highly specialized AI applications.