Processors with AI capabilities have recently become popular, especially with the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X, AMD Ryzen AI 300, and the Intel Core Ultra 200V processors, which feature NPUs that deliver 40 TOPS and up. However, IDC Research says that the adoption of these AI PCs, especially the Windows Copilot+ PCs, is largely driven by the need to purchase new computers or upgrade existing laptops—not because of their AI capabilities.
“While AI has been a buzzword of late, it has yet to be a purchase driver among PC buyers,” says Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers research manager Jitesh Ubrani. “Businesses certainly recognize the importance of AI though many struggle to see the immediate use case and instead are opting for AI PCs as a means to futureproofing.” He also said that most retail customers do not appreciate the advantages that the on-chip Neural Processing Unit (NPU) brings.
