AI, once a sci-fi concept, is now changing the way we use personal computers.
AI PCs, as Forrester defines them, are personal computers with AI chips and algorithms that improve performance across the CPU, GPU, and NPU. These advancements are essentially bringing AI out of the cloud and into the hands of users.
In Forrester’s report, “The Year of the AI PC Is 2025,” these AI-enhanced PCs are set to change how we use computers. They could boost efficiency, handle complex tasks better, and make data more secure.
Koh Kong Meng, Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Singapore, HP, sees AI as the biggest change in PCs since the internet. “People are excited by AI because it creates personalised experiences that make work more efficient, improve collaboration, and stimulate creativity,” he said.
Canalys predicts AI PC shipments will grow 44% annually from 2024 to 2028, reaching over 205 million units by 2028.
Meanwhile, Sumir Bhatia, President – Asia Pacific, Lenovo ISG, believes AI PCs could bring new life to the stagnant PC market.
“AI PCs should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a broader ecosystem built on AI-optimised infrastructure. As more AI applications emerge, the need for powerful hardware, software, and services to support them will increase. This will drive adoption and highlight the need for robust infrastructure as a foundational layer. This approach is crucial in realising the full potential of AI PCs,” Bhatia said.
Preparing IT infrastructure for the AI PC era
As businesses prepare to adopt AI PCs, they face significant challenges. Shifting from cloud-based AI to local processing means rethinking IT infrastructure, data management, and security.
Bhatia highlights the need to address issues like data silos, scalability, and data security.
“Integrating AI PCs into existing IT infrastructure requires careful planning,” he noted. “Businesses must manage data effectively, address data silos, and scale AI workloads while safeguarding sensitive data from breaches.”
Koh from HP agrees, emphasising the need for robust security to protect sensitive information.
“With AI systems dealing with sensitive data, businesses face a challenge in ensuring robust security measures to protect data privacy and prevent unauthorised breaches,” Koh said.
Paul Carter, Vice President, Client Solutions, Asia Pacific & Japan, Dell Technologies, acknowledges that while the benefits of AI PCs are clear, businesses are just beginning to explore this technology.
“It’s still the early days of AI PCs,” Carter explained. “It’s clear on-device AI provides many benefits – performance, power savings, security, and overall greater productivity and efficiencies. We’re just getting started in this space, but organisations know that if you buy AI PCs now, you’re investing for the future.”
Building the workforce for AI-driven operations
Integrating AI PCs into the enterprise brings both technical and operational challenges, with companies needing to equip employees with the right skills while addressing data privacy and security concerns.
Training employees to effectively use AI tools is a key hurdle. HP’s Koh notes that many companies struggle to identify productivity gaps and apply AI effectively.
“With a thorough assessment, we can identify productivity gaps and the best ways for AI tools and technologies to be applied,” Koh suggested.
Koh also emphasises transparency, highlighting the importance of explaining AI’s role in enhancing, not replacing, jobs. “AI is meant to increase productivity,” he said, adding that as employees become more familiar with AI, they can focus on more strategic tasks in the long-term.
Data management is also a critical concern. Lenovo’s Bhatia stresses the importance of managing data pipelines, ensuring data quality, and addressing ethical issues like bias.
Moreover, Bhatia calls attention to the need for AI expertise and strong governance to ensure smooth integration of AI PCs.
“AI expertise is the cornerstone of effective integration, requiring deep knowledge of hardware, software, and networking,” Bhatia explained, citing Lenovo’s Smarter Data Management Playbook, which found that 30% of Asia-Pacific (APAC) organisations have identified data security as their top data management priority for 2024.
Dell’s Carter highlights the long-term benefits of AI PCs as they evolve. “AI PCs present great opportunities, and as their capabilities get more advanced, businesses can take advantage of the benefits today. As with any new technology, things will continue to progress and become more advanced over time. If CIOs invest now, they’ll future-proof their operations as new software and use cases come emerge.”
Another crucial challenge is building AI expertise within organisations. Bhatia points out that many businesses lack the required expertise initially, which can disrupt workflows and limit the effectiveness of AI PCs.
“AI expertise is the cornerstone of effective integration, requiring deep knowledge of hardware, software, and networking to ensure optimal performance and compatibility,” Bhatia explained.
Strategies for future-proofing IT
To stay ahead in the fast-evolving AI PC landscape, businesses must align their IT infrastructure with the demands of AI systems. This includes ensuring scalability, robust security, and seamless integration of new technologies.
For Dell’s Carter, upgrading PC fleets to keep pace with AI advancements is crucial. “We see adoption happening in waves, but we don’t expect customers to wait long as AI is quickly becoming a top priority,” he observed.
Carter also references Gartner’s prediction that by 2026, 100% of enterprise PC purchases will be AI PCs. “Now is an excellent time for companies to upgrade their fleet of PCs, especially those bought during or before the pandemic. This allows them to update to Windows 11 and future-proof with AI PCs.”
HP’s Koh believes businesses need a holistic approach when preparing their infrastructure for AI. “Future-proofing IT infrastructure for AI-powered PCs involves adopting strategies and technologies that support integration, scalability, and security,” Koh said.
Koh also suggests businesses focus on improving remote solutions and streamlining supply chains for efficiency. He stresses the importance of gathering feedback from users and stakeholders to continually refine AI-powered applications.
Lenovo’s Bhatia advises adapting strategies with evolving hardware and software architectures. “To future-proof IT infrastructure, organisations should increase AI investment, bring AI closer to data, and develop IT talent,” Bhatia said.
Bhatia adds that AI spending in APAC is projected to grow by 45% in 2024, urging businesses to focus on strategic investments. He also highlights the importance of integrating edge computing and cloud solutions, along with developing AI roles in DataOps and DevOps to support AI efforts.
Unlocking AI potential with NPUs
As AI PCs grow in popularity, neural processing units (NPUs) are becoming essential for handling AI workloads and speeding up tasks like machine learning, image processing, and real-time language translation. NPUs work with CPUs and GPUs to optimise performance.
Peter Chambers, Managing Director, APAC Sales & Country Manager, Australia, AMD, calls NPUs critical for AI PCs. “Using the dedicated NPU can help improve the overall system efficiency, enhance security, and enable new AI-driven capabilities,” he said.
Chambers notes that NPUs help with tasks like automatic framing and eye contact correction during video calls, as well as supporting AI models for language translation and voice recognition. By taking on these tasks, NPUs reduce the load on CPUs and GPUs.
NPUs are particularly valuable for devices without discrete GPUs. “A dedicated AI engine provides low latency, high performance, and power-efficient hardware for running AI workloads,” Chambers added.
HP’s Koh highlights how NPUs improve power management and thermal efficiency. “An NPU embedded in an AI PC can process AI workloads up to 10,000 times faster, preventing GPU performance degradation, extending battery life, and reducing heat,” Koh said.
The future of AI PCs: What businesses need to know
AI is set to make AI PCs a key driver of the future of personal computing. Industry experts agree that AI PCs will boost productivity, improve user experiences, and offer significant benefits to enterprises willing to invest.
Dell’s Carter sees AI as a major inflection point for PCs. “Future workloads are AI-driven, so AI is a winning opportunity for the PC. People will want AI-enabled PCs, and this will drive the PC refresh cycle,” he said.
HP’s Koh believes AI can create more personalised, impactful work experiences, but warns that businesses must be vigilant in addressing security risks as AI PCs increasingly handle sensitive user data.
Looking ahead, Lenovo’s Bhatia stresses the need for a robust IT foundation to support the adoption of AI PCs. “The future of AI PCs depends on a strong IT foundation. Businesses planning to adopt AI PCs must invest in scalable and flexible IT infrastructure,” he remarked.
As AI merges with personal computing, businesses must ensure they have the right IT strategy to take advantage of these advancements. The convergence of AI and PCs offers a chance to not only boost productivity but fundamentally change how users interact with technology.
