Canalys: every PC sold will be an AI PC by 2030

Will every PC sold in 2030 be an AI PC? Analysts at Canalys predict that every PC sold by 2030 will have on-device AI capabilities.

Microsoft, PC manufacturers, and chip manufacturers have high hopes for AI PCs. This new type of PC requires a neural processing unit (NPU) to process AI tasks on the device.  On Windows, they also require a Copilot key on the keyboard.

A core focus of the next version of Windows 11 is AI and AI PCs. Microsoft will lift the curtain next month during its Build developer conference. The final version of Windows 11 version 24H2 is expected in September or October 2024.

AI Explorer is one tool that will be introduced in the next version of Windows 11. Reports suggest that it is going to be an omnipresent AI that is recording a user's activity on the PC. The user may then interact with the AI in natural language to retrieve files or information.

While that sounds useful, it could also become a privacy nightmare, depending on how it is implemented.

All PCs sold in 2030 will be AI PCs

Tech market analyst Canalys predicts that AI PCs will take over the entire PC market in the coming six years. What this means is that PCs without on-board AI capabilities will no longer be sold by 2030.

Here is the adoption timeline as predicted by analysts at Canalys:

• 2024 -- 19% of all PCs come with on-device AI capabilities.
• 2025 -- AI PCs will be mainstream. They reach 37%.
• 2027 -- 60% of all PCs sold come with on-device AI capabilities.
• 2030 -- 100% of PCs sold will have NPUs or some other form of AI chip.

While that may look like a risky projection at first, it is not on closer inspection. As Martin Geuß over at Dr. Windows points out, chip manufacturers are already integrating NPUs on their chips.  While that is reserved to brand new top-of-the-line chips like the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite currently, capabilities will be integrated into medium-priced and low-priced processors eventually.

Clearly, these won't have the same processing power as high-end processors, which may limit them. However, NPUs will become the norm in the coming years.

Closing Words

Whether AI PCs will be the next big thing remains to be seen. AI is trending right now and companies like Microsoft are integrating AI capabilities into their operating systems at a record pace.

Once the initial goldrush settles, it will be interesting to see how useful the features are for day-to-day activities of users.

Microsoft plans to showcase the future of AI in Windows next month.

Are you looking forward to the integration of AI into your devices and systems? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

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