At CES 2026, Lenovo and Motorola have moved decisively beyond the current paradigm of app-based chatbots and assistants. Their joint announcement introduces Qira, a new form of "personal ambient intelligence" designed to be a continuous, context-aware presence across a user's entire ecosystem of devices. This launch signals a strategic shift towards deeply integrated, multi-device AI that aims to work proactively with users rather than waiting to be summoned.
Qira Represents a Fundamental Shift in AI Interaction
Lenovo and Motorola are positioning Qira not as another chatbot, but as a foundational intelligence layer. Unlike assistants confined to single apps or devices, Qira is built directly into the system software of Lenovo PCs, tablets, and, later, Motorola smartphones and wearables. The core idea is to create a single, seamless experience that moves with the user. Dan Dery, VP of AI Ecosystem at Lenovo, emphasized this shift, stating the goal is to make AI "feel less like a tool you use and more like an intelligence that works with you, continuously and naturally." This approach, dubbed "personal ambient intelligence," focuses on learning user habits and understanding context to assist with tasks proactively, minimizing the need for explicit management.
Qira Core Concepts:
- Presence: Always-available, cross-device access via voice, button, or key.
- Actions: Executes tasks across apps and devices (e.g., file transfer).
- Perception: Builds a "fused knowledge base" from consented data for context-aware assistance.
The Technology is Built on Presence, Action, and Perception
Qira's functionality is structured around three core principles: presence, actions, and perception. Its "presence" means it is available across devices via wake words, button presses, or keystrokes, yet remains unobtrusive. "Actions" refer to its ability to manage tasks across different applications and devices, such as transferring files offline or online. Most critically, "perception" allows Qira to build a "fused knowledge base" from user-allowed data across devices, creating a living model of the user's digital world. This enables features like "Next Move," which offers contextual suggestions, and "Catch Me Up," which provides summaries of missed events. Lenovo stresses a hybrid architecture where most processing occurs on-device to prioritize user privacy, with secure cloud services assisting only when necessary.
Key Features Demonstrated:
- Next Move: Provides contextual suggestions based on current activity.
- Catch Me Up: Summarizes events or notifications missed while away.
- Project Maxwell Demo Tasks: Drafting social posts from audio/visual context, ordering ride-shares, sending texts via full app interaction.
Project Maxwell Hints at a Hands-Free Future
Concurrently, Motorola's 312 Labs unveiled Project Maxwell, an "AI Perceptive Companion Proof of Concept." This wearable pin prototype embodies the ultimate vision for Qira's evolution: a standalone, hands-free device. Equipped with a camera and microphone, Project Maxwell utilizes "multimodal perception fusion" to see and hear the user's surroundings. In a demonstration, it was shown listening to a conference speaker and autonomously drafting a LinkedIn summary, all while the user's phone remained in their pocket. It can also execute complex, multi-step tasks like ordering an Uber or sending a text by reasoning through each step within the relevant apps. While strictly a concept, Project Maxwell illustrates Motorola's ambition to make AI an ambient, perceptive companion that reduces dependency on smartphone screens.
Launch Timeline:
- Q1 2026: Lenovo Qira launches on select Lenovo devices.
- After Q1 2026: Motorola Qira rolls out to supported smartphones via OTA updates.
- Future: Support expands to more devices; concepts like Project Maxwell may influence future products.
Rollout Begins in Early 2026 with a Focus on Ecosystem Integration
The commercial rollout of Qira will be phased. The experience, branded as Lenovo Qira, will first arrive on select Lenovo devices in the first quarter of 2026. Following this, Motorola Qira will be delivered to supported smartphones via over-the-air updates. Existing users of Lenovo's AI Now service will transition seamlessly to the new platform. The companies plan to expand support to more devices over time. This staged launch underscores the strategy of building a cohesive AI ecosystem that bridges the Lenovo and Motorola hardware portfolios, offering a unified intelligent experience whether a user is on a laptop, phone, or future wearable.