AI PCs will make up nearly 60% of total PC shipments by 2027

[Shawn Knight]

Bottom line: Shipments of AI PCs – that is, those with the requisite hardware and software to run generative AI tasks locally – are expected to reach nearly 50 million units this year but could swell to more than three times that figure in just a few years.

Until recently, running AI tasks on a local machine involved the CPU, the GPU, or a combination of the two. That's not ideal for a couple of reasons. CPUs and GPUs aren't optimized for AI tasks, so using them for that purpose can impact overall system performance and drain batteries faster.

Neural processing units (NPUs), which are now finding their way into consumer devices, are specifically designed to tackle AI workloads as efficiently as possible. IDC outlined three classes of NPU-enabled AI PCs as follows:

• Hardware-enabled AI PCs feature an NPU that offers under 40 tera operations per second (TOPS) performance, and typically enable AI features within apps. Apple, AMD, Qualcomm, and Intel are actively shipping these kinds of chips.

• Next-generation AI PCs include NPUs with 40 – 60 TOPS performance and utilize an AI-first operating system to enable AI capabilities system-wide. AMD, Qualcomm, and Intel have all announced chips in this category that should start arriving later this year.

• Advanced AI PCs are described as those that offer over 60 TOPS of performance. No vendors have announced products that'd fall into this category yet, but they are expected in the coming years. Notably, IDC's latest forecast does not account for advanced AI PCs but they will be included in future updates.

IDC expects shipments of hardware-enabled AI PCs to ramp up sharply over the next two years before next-gen AI PCs take over. By 2027, the research firm believes shipments of next-gen AI PCs will be double that of hardware-enabled AI PCs. IDC said many of these systems will be sold to commercial clients, but consumers should also have plenty to look forward to including new digital content creation tools and AI-enhanced PC gaming.

Image credit: Emiliano Vittoriosi

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https://www.techspot.com/news/101818-ai-capable-pcs-make-up-nearly-60-total.html

 

[yRaz]

I don't think demand is going to ramp up, I think the consoomur marketing machine is going to give us the AI bukkake treatment to try to convince us that our old hardware isn't good anymore. Obviously, windows 11 alone wasn't enough to convince people to upgrade so now they're going to try using AI.

Then, eventually, software will require some type of "AI acceleration" to use a feature that has little to nothing to do with AI and won't be able to open PDFs without it.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

There'll be no DEMAND, it'll be BS hype and the forcing of NPU's onto the cpu that will see the rise in sales. There'll be no choice to buy a cpu without an NPU so it'll be artificial. Consumers aren't driving this, this is BS from Microsoft demanding a minimum TOPS spec for Windows 12. GPU's arer already capable of doing AI calculations far faster than current NPU.

 

[brucek]

This is going to be the biggest innovation in home PCs since 3D Movie Blu-ray support.

 

[Nobina]

The demand will be inflated...artificially.

 

[Watzupken]

Demand means people want it. The reality is AI hardware is being forced onto consumers instead. So whether you want it or not, you are getting it. The article is highly misleading and seems to stirring up FOMO.

 

[nnguy2]

How much can I save for buying non AI branded pc components?

 

[wiyosaya]

Great! More hardware for the landfill.

 

[lonetac]

Throwing "AI" on everything is now the new fad. Was in best buy and all the new TV's are touting "AI". Its on all packaging for nearly everything new coming out.

Much like organic, I think its just a marketing scam.

 

[Rocky4040]

Demand probably will not be high on everyone's list but I am sure they will shove it down everyone's throat and charge a premium for something most people will not even want. I am sure though just like most everything else there will be ways to turn it all off. It is to bad though we will be forced to pay the extra money for features we will just turn off.

 

[cristianm]

For now, I don't see what these AI pc's can do and why they are needed. If AI pc means a cpu that has a NPU that is never used like on the phones ...

 

[yRaz]

Throwing "AI" on everything is now the new fad. Was in best buy and all the new TV's are touting "AI". Its on all packaging for nearly everything new coming out.

Much like organic, I think its just a marketing scam.

Just wait until organic AI avocado toast becomes a thing.

 

[LimyG]

Demand means people want it. The reality is AI hardware is being forced onto consumers instead. So whether you want it or not, you are getting it. The article is highly misleading and seems to stirring up FOMO.

100%
AI may sound "cool," but does the average, or even all but a small group of professionals have a use for AI that will improve their overall experience?

I'II leave that at that:

But, it's important to remember that this "AI" is programmed by MS (on a Windows OS of course).
Does anyone think that the AI will help do anything extra that is not "approved," by MS?

IMHO, it's likely to be rather useless for most after the initial "WOW," factor, (if there is one).

But it will useful, very useful for MS. Yet another tool in there already rather large and opaque tool box.
Yep, another way to gather data. I'm just wondering how obvious it will appear when forced on OSes?

MS know that the more data gathered, the more actual knowledge of users can be gleamed.

It's a very simple post I've written, nothing new here.

But knowledge has always meant power, which with MS translates to yet more profits.

But most of us put up with it, at least to a degree, self included. It rarely appears to leap in massive steps
but it's been increasing for years now at a pace that MS and Google, for instance, know is just below the threshold where a typical person/user will make an active fuss.

Got to hand it to em. They are masterful social engineers.

 

[Underdog]

Sadly, the bulk of the sheeple will embrace it with credit cards in hand, even if they have no idea what use it might be to them personally. They just want it because it is something new and the gurus tell them it is "the future".

 

[AdamNovagen]

Then, eventually, software will require some type of "AI acceleration" to use a feature that has little to nothing to do with AI and won't be able to open PDFs without it.

As a part-time software dev myself, this made me cackle despite how depressingly real it is.

 

[toooooot]

I am kinda curious to see if someone will try to use people's computers AAI power like they used to or tried to do for processing stuff that benefits all people.