Nobody wanted an "AI PC," so Microsoft stopped calling it that

[Daniel Sims]

The takeaway: Two years ago, Microsoft and Qualcomm launched "Copilot+" as their take on what they and Intel called the "AI PC" era. However, the term "Copilot+" is nowhere to be found in the PR for Microsoft's latest Surface devices. In fact, manufacturers across the board seem to be backing away from explicit AI PC branding while continuing to promote generative AI features.

At the Snapdragon 2026 Summit, Microsoft and Qualcomm spokespeople confirmed to Windows Central that they are no longer describing new Microsoft Surface products or other devices as Copilot+ PCs. While Microsoft has remained committed to promoting its Copilot AI assistant, the comments are a tacit admission that customers have not responded to the idea of rebranding PCs as AI devices.

Brett Ostrum, the Surface division's corporate vice president, told the publication that Microsoft is still leaning into the AI narrative and offering the same capabilities as before, but that its new devices are not being called Copilot+ PCs. Kedar Kondap, Qualcomm's senior vice president of compute, echoed those comments, confirming that the companies are offering the same experiences as before, just without the Copilot+ PC terminology.

Microsoft and Qualcomm debuted the Copilot+ branding when they launched the first wave of Arm-based Windows PCs in 2024. Copilot+ was their version of what Intel dubbed an "AI PC" – PCs with at least 16GB of RAM and NPUs capable of at least 40 TOPS of AI compute. Other manufacturers hopped on the bandwagon, and AMD even renamed its mobile CPUs to include the word "AI."

However, data quickly showed that while AI PCs were selling, customers were buying them because they needed new PCs and the new systems happened to include NPUs, rather than because they specifically wanted AI PCs. Manufacturers have since quietly retreated from AI-related branding.

One of the biggest signs came in January, when Dell revived the XPS brand after killing it a year earlier – admitting that AI alone isn't a good enough selling point for new PCs. Microsoft's latest Surface laptop refresh even includes models with only 8GB of RAM, meaning they no longer meet the original AI PC benchmark.

Ironically, AI-driven memory shortages are partly to blame. Early next month, Microsoft plans to unveil new high-end Surface laptops in collaboration with Nvidia, which has historically preferred running AI workloads on its own RTX GPUs rather than NPUs.

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Nobody wanted an "AI PC," so Microsoft stopped calling it that

 

[maxxcool7421]

DIE

 

[Kirby1]

Microsoft has not demonstrated a single worth-while feature that an "AI PC" has that isn't just a standard copilot feature. It makes everything about the branding feel entirely hollow.

AI backlash aside, they have to make it make sense and they have not done that at all.

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

The problem is that any of the interesting things one would want local AI for usually end up needing a lot more compute, memory, & memory bandwidth than you get out of the Copilot+ compliant NPU and basic computer, while at the same time the few boring but mildly useful tasks you can use an NPU for (like efficient noise reduction during video calls) only need a small NPU, like 1/5th the Copilot+ ones. Microsoft failed to come up with any "middle ground" tasks that anyone actually wants.

 

[Anton Longshot]

Don't think MS has given up. They WANT you to think that. Mark my words.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

On the plus side, shoving Copilot EVERYWHERE had the lasting effect of negative customer association.

I pay for three different models and still don’t even consider using Copilot.

 

[yRaz]

On the plus side, shoving Copilot EVERYWHERE had the lasting effect of negative customer association.

I pay for three different models and still don’t even consider using Copilot.

Work pays for Gemini+, I think it's the $20/m plan. I'm actually really happy with it. I'm mostly a blue collar guy but I use it for helping with daily work reports, order forms and oddly enough it helps with making schematics. I can describe a job to it and it will spit out a mostly accurate CAD file and instead of 3-4 hours making a drawing I can take what it does and spend 30 minutes tweaking it/polishing it. I also use it all the time to help making templates/frameworks for other documents instead of starting from scratch. I'm pretty good with word and excel but making headers and charts is tedious and the most annoying part of my job. I pour concrete for a living, I hate doing all the paper work

 

[p51d007]

I'll be glad when an easy way to turn that stupid co-pilot key back into the right side CTRL key!