What is an AI PC?  Unlike traditional computers, an artificial intelligence PC, or AI PC, comes with AI capabilities built in by design. AI runs locally, right on the machine, allowing it to essentially learn, adapt, reason and problem-solve without having to connect to the cloud. This greatly increases the performance, efficiency and security of computing while enhancing user experience.  How are AI PCs different from traditional PCs? Traditional PCs run on CPUs and GPUs (but most PCs use an integrated CPU for everyday tasks), and their essential components include a motherboard, input devices like keyboards and mice, long-term storage, and random-access (short-term) memory (RAM). While they excel at tasks such as everyday web searching, data processing and content streaming, they typically don’t come with many built-in AI features — and they struggle to perform complex AI tasks due to limitations with latency, memory, storage and battery life.  [ Related: What is a GPU? Inside the processing power behind AI ] AI PCs, by contrast, come preloaded with AI capabilities so that users can get started with the technology right out of the box. They feature integrated processors, accelerators and software specifically designed to handle complex AI workloads. While they also incorporate GPUs and CPUs, AI PCs contain a critical third engine: the neural processing unit (NPU).  5 things you should know about AI PCs Local AI processing: AI PCs handle AI tasks on-device with specialized hardware (NPUs) for improved performance, privacy, and lower latency. Enhanced productivity: AI PCs boost efficiency and enable new capabilities like improved collaboration, personalized experiences, and advanced content creation. Robust security is imperative: AI PCs require a strong security framework, including hardware, data, software, and supply chain considerations. The market is growing: The AI PC market is expanding rapidly, with increasing availability, decreasing costs, and a growing software ecosystem. Big IT impact: AI PCs will require updates to IT infrastructure and management practices, including device management, application development, network infrastructure, and cost analysis. NPUs perform parallel computing in a way that simulates the human brain, processing large amounts of data all at once — at trillions of operations per second (TOPS). This allows the machine to perform AI tasks much faster and more efficiently than regular PCs — and locally on the machine itself.  The key components of AI PCs The generally agreed-upon definition of an AI PC is a PC embedded with an AI chip and algorithms specifically designed to improve the experience of AI workloads across the CPU, GPU and NPU.  All of the major PC vendors — Microsoft, Apple, Intel, AMD, Dell, HP, Lenovo — are building their own versions of AI PCs. Microsoft, which offers a line of Copilot+ AI PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors, has set a generally accepted baseline for what constitutes an AI PC. Required components include the following:  Purpose-built hardware: An NPU works in tandem with CPUs and GPUs. NPU speed is measured in TOPS, and the machine should be able to handle at least 40 TOPS to support on-device AI workloads.  System RAM: An AI PC must have at least 16GB of RAM. That’s the minimum; having twice as much (or more) improves performance.  System storage: AI PCs should have a minimum of 256G of solid-state drive (SSD) storage — preferably non-volatile memory express (NVMe) — or universal flash storage (UFS). Gartner Benefits of AI PCs  AI PCs represent a movement beyond traditional static machines that require constant human input and offer these benefits:  Enhanced productivity and computing that is truly personalized  AI has the capability to learn from what it sees and evolve based on that information; it is also increasingly agentic, meaning it can perform some approved tasks autonomously.  With AI directly integrated into a device and across various workflows, users can automate routine and repetitive tasks — such as drafting emails, scheduling meetings, compiling to-do lists, getting alerts about urgent messages, or sourcing important information from websites and databases.  Beyond that, AI PCs can support advanced content creation and real-time data processing; perform financial analysis; compile reports; enhance collaboration through voice recognition, real-time translation and transcription capabilities; and provide predictive text and writing help. Over time, AI PCs can adapt to individual workflows and eventually anticipate needs and make decisions based on user habits.  As AI agents become ever more intuitive and complex, they can serve as on-device coworkers, answering intricate business questions and helping with corporate strategy and business planning.  Reduced cloud costs, reduced latency Building, training, deploying and maintaining AI models requires significant resources, and costs can quickly add up in the cloud. Running AI locally can significantly reduce cloud costs. Offline processing can also improve speed and lower latency, as data does not need to be transferred back and forth to the cloud.  Users can perform more complex tasks on-device involving natural language processing (NLP), generative AI (genAI), multimodal AI (for more advanced content generation such as 3D modeling, video, audio) and image and speech recognition.  Enhanced security Security is top of mind for every enterprise today, and AI PCs can help bolster cybersecurity posture. Local processing means data stays on device (instead of being sent to cloud servers) and users have far more control over what data gets shared.  Further, AI PCs can run threat detection algorithms right on the NPU, allowing them to flag potential issues and respond more quickly. AI PCs can also be continually updated based on the latest threat intel, allowing them to adapt as cyberattackers change tactics.  Longer battery life, energy savings While some AI workloads have been feasible on regular PCs, they quickly drain the battery because they require so much power. NPUs can help preserve battery life as users run more complex AI algorithms. Adding to this, they are more sustainable, as every query or prompt requires an estimated 10 times less energy compared to using the cloud.  Important considerations when considering AI PCs Even as they represent state-of-the-art, AI PCs are (not yet) for every enterprise. There are important factors IT buyers should consider, including:  Higher up-front cost: Because they incorporate specialized hardware (NPUs) and have higher memory and power requirements, AI PCs are generally more expensive than regular PCs (even if they save on cloud costs in the long-run).  Increased technical knowledge: Users well-versed with everyday PCs might struggle to use built-in AI features at first, requiring more training resources. Also, more advanced technical knowledge is required to train AI models and develop applications. Further, genAI is still in its early phases, so enterprise leaders have many concerns about AI misuse (whether unintentional or not).  Not-yet proven business use cases beyond nifty gadgets: There has yet to be that “killer app” for AI PCs that make them a must-have across enterprises. If a business’s primary computing requirements are everyday tasks — think email, web searching, simple data processing — AI PCs may be too much muscle, making the increased cost difficult to justify.  While the question of whether you need an AI PC might be relevant now, that won’t be the case for much longer. “The debate has moved from speculating which PCs might include AI functionality,to the expectation that most PCs will eventually integrate AI NPU capabilities,” Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner, said last September. “As a result, NPU will become a standard feature for PC vendors.” Gartner forecasts AI PCs will represent 43% of all PC shipments by the end of the year, up from 17% in 2024. The demand for AI laptops is projected to be higher than that of AI desktops, with shipments of AI laptops to account for 51% of total laptops in 2025. AI PCs – what’s there to think about? AI PCs represent the next generation of computing, and experts predict they will soon be the only choice of laptop available to large businesses looking to refresh. But they are still in their early proving phases, and IT buyers have important considerations to keep in mind when it comes to cost, relevance and necessity.