The future of work: AI PCs with Intel at the core

The market for AI PCs is gaining momentum. According to Canalys, 19% of PCs shipped in 2024 included dedicated low power AI processing chips (NPUs or Neural Processing Units) and this figure is projected to soar to 60% by 2027,, with the commercial sector leading the charge.[1]

As businesses look to stay competitive in an AI-driven world, choosing the right technology will be critical to success. And with end of support (EOS) immanent for Windows 10, many businesses are looking to make these investment decisions sooner rather than later.

The revolutionary impact of AI PCs

However, AI PCs are not merely the latest iteration in a routine device refresh cycle; they represent a leap forward in enterprise computing.

For one, they provide lower latency and faster response times as they can process large datasets locally. They can also increase customisation, using AI to adapt to individual user needs and tailor workflows, applications, and experiences. The devices can also drive significant cost savings by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows. 

Thanks to features like these, businesses increasingly recognise that AI PCs will usher in a revolution in enterprise computing. “This is a sea change,” says Tom Pieser, Large Enterprise Sales Strategy Specialist at Intel. “AI PCs are poised to redefine the way businesses operate, much like Windows and wireless technology did in their respective eras. They are not just tools—they are catalysts for a new era of productivity and innovation.”

Use Cases for AI PCs

Some of the emerging use cases for AI PCs demonstrate their revolutionary potential, helping in various ways to increase collaboration, drive productivity, enhance security, and assist with content creation. These use cases promise to drive benefits for IT and end users alike.

From IT’s perspective, for example, one key use case is around fleet management. With Intel-powered AI embedded into the hardware, IT can better understand their PC fleet with specific device-level insights, such as asset identity and event history. This can help to promote sustainable computing practices and inform management decisions on when to configure and maintain devices or retire and replace them. As a result, IT operations turn from being reactive to being predictive and proactive.

For users, the whole experience of operating a PC dramatically improves. AI can, for example, enable background removal, noise suppression, live captions, and meeting transcriptions to make virtual conference run smoother and help to document meeting outcomes. Through features such as these, AI PCs will help organisations drive efficiencies and unlock productivity.

Selecting the right technology

As enterprises look to upgrade their PC fleets, making the right technology decisions will be crucial. Here, choosing hardware that is powered by Intel processors can make all the difference, for several reasons:

• Processing power: The Intel® Core™ Ultra provides next-gen processing, combining high-throughput GPUs, low-power NPUs, and fast-response CPUs to deliver exceptional performance without sacrificing battery life (indeed, battery life is tested using real-world scenarios that mirror what users do, not synthetic unrealistic benchmarks).
• Choice and performance:  For the first time ever, Intel is delivering an integrated NPU and has dramatically increased the on-board GPU capability to handle more AI loads. This allows software developers to write their code to the NPU, GPU, or CPU to take full advantage of the unique AI capabilities of each hardware engine.  This is turn allows tasks to be offloaded from the CPU to the NPU and GPU which provides more CPU headroom for multi-tasking, which increases performance and employee productivity.
• Fleet management: With Intel vPro®, enterprises benefit from 18 years of proven security, manageability, and productivity. This platform ensures robust protections and stability for both IT and users.
  • Software ecosystem: Backed by 45 years of innovation, Intel’s unmatched software ecosystem provides superior compatibility with emerging AI operating systems, applications, and developer tools. Drawing on collaborations with over 100 software vendors on over 400 features, Intel has been partnering to optimise its code-to-hardware approach, which it believes will lead companies of all sizes to drive innovation.

Already, compelling new AI apps are available, and yet more will come in the years ahead. Businesses can future proof their fleet modernisation while unlocking tangible value today by leveraging Intel’s technology, ecosystem, and legacy. Doing so, they will get ahead of competitors and realise full value from their AI investments.

For more information on how Intel is leading the game when it comes to AI PC technology, download its brand new interactive eBook.

[1] Canalys, Now and next for AI-capable PCs, 2024 https://www.canalys.com/reports/AI-PC-market-forecasts