As AI-powered PCs emerge as the next frontier in computing, analysts predict they will soon dominate the market, particularly in enterprises. Both Gartner and IDC forecast rapid growth in AI PC shipments, with Gartner predicting 43 million units in 2024 and IDC expecting this number to rise to 57 million units by 2024.
Despite this, some analysts caution that businesses are still hesitant, viewing AI PCs as tools for future-proofing rather than immediate necessity.
The shift toward AI PCs is gaining momentum, especially in regions like North America, Asia-Pacific, and parts of Western Europe. By 2026, AI laptops are expected to become the default choice for large enterprises. Yet, significant challenges remain, including cost, software incompatibility, and uncertainty over everyday use cases.
Why It Matters: AI However, the transition to widespread adoption will depend on overcoming short-term hurdles like cost and software compatibility, while proving their value to enterprises and users. Despite this AI PCs have the potential to redefine how businesses and consumers approach computing, offering enhanced security, efficiency, and offline AI processing.
- Explosive Growth in AI PC Shipments: Both Gartner and IDC project strong growth in AI PC shipments, with IDC forecasting 57 million units in 2024 and over 258 million by 2028. Gartner also expects AI PCs to account for 43% of all PC shipments by 2025, driven by increased enterprise adoption.
- AI Laptops to Dominate by 2026: Gartner predicts AI laptops will become the only option for large enterprises by 2026, a sharp contrast from less than 5% in 2023. This is driven by the integration of NPUs, which will make AI functionalities like offline processing standard.
- Challenges to Adoption: Short-term hurdles, such as software incompatibilities on Arm-based laptops and the high cost of AI chip integration, may slow widespread adoption. Many businesses still struggle to see immediate use cases and are opting for AI PCs primarily as a future-proofing measure.
- AI’s Potential to Revolutionize Computing: With built-in AI hardware, AI PCs can transform tasks like real-time language translation and content creation, while reducing reliance on cloud-based AI. However, concerns about privacy, costs, and unproven use cases persist.
