The roll-out of AI PCs is expected to grow exponentially over the next three years, as more organisations begin to embrace AI-infused apps and services for foundational tasks, according to a new study from AMD and market intelligence firm IDC. 

According to research based on IDC’s latest analyst brief, Planning for the Future: The Importance of Equipping Your Workforce with AI PCs, the number of AI-capable PCs entering the commercial market is predicted to skyrocket from just 5% in 2023 to 94% by 2028.

IDC’s survey of 670 managers or above responsible for PC purchases found that AI PCs – which include specialised NPUs designed specifically to run AI workloads on edge devices instead of in the cloud – are widely expected to bring significant benefits.

Those benefits include the chance to eliminate repetitive tasks (83%), help employees focus (79%), drive productivity (76%), allow employees to be more creative (75%), and accelerate innovation (72%).

The study also found that the three most compelling features respondents hope these next generation PCs will bring are more personalised experiences for employees (77%), the ability to help maintain data privacy (75%), and an increased capacity to prevent security risks (74%).

IDC’s brief claims that the impending end of support for Windows 10 and the worldwide PC refresh cycle this is expected to herald, will help in the transition to AI PCs, moving them from a piece of niche technology to a cornerstone of business.

The survey found that 60% of respondents are planning to replace ageing systems with new Windows 11 PCs that include AI features such as Microsoft’s Copilot, as opposed to upgrading old systems to the new OS, with 82% expecting these new systems to have a positive impact on employees.

Overall, 97% of organisations said that they now expect to deploy AI to more employees in the future through such systems.

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However, plans to implement AI PCs might hit an early roadblock, with data from Intel in November suggesting prohibitive misconceptions around these products, with 44% of consumers seeing AI PCs as a gimmick or futuristic technology, and 53% believing they are only for creatives or technical professionals.

Likewise, data from Canalys shows that while AI-capable PC shipments hit 15.4 million units in Q4 2024, accounting for 23% of all PC shipments, key challenges remain, including getting channel partners on board to drive commercial adoption and overcoming user resistance.