The Rise of AI PCs in the Commercial Market: Planning for the Future

The speed of AI adoption is faster than any previous technology wave. It is becoming more clear that AI would shape the future of enterprise and commercial computing, even if the long-term impact of the technology remains a bit uncertain.

AMD has commissioned IDC to conduct a global survey to better understand the AI PC market and to make the benefits of that understanding more widely available to you. The resulting data is published in a new IDC White Paper* that offers some specifics on how companies are using AI today, as well as an update on the AI PC market and its likely commercial trajectory over the next few years. It’s an insightful read for anyone who wants a better understanding of emerging use cases in this rapidly developing field.

What is an AI PC?

AI PCs are a particular type of PC, with additional capabilities over and above previous-generation systems. IDC defines an AI PC as "a system that combines a CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU) and an NPU on the same physical processor." The NPU, or neural processing unit, is a specialized processor designed for AI workloads. It offloads these tasks from the CPU and GPU and executes them more efficiently.

NPU performance is typically measured in TOPS (Trillion Operations per Second). AI PCs with an NPU capable of up to 40 TOPS or more can qualify as Microsoft Copilot+ PCs and take advantage of the additional local AI capabilities that Microsoft enables on these systems. AI PCs with an NPU rated below 40 TOPS can still take advantage of software support in other applications.

AI PCs and the Windows 11 Refresh

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025. IDC expects commercial AI PC adoption to grow quickly over the next few years as enterprises adopt Windows 11 and silicon manufacturers introduce new, NPU-equipped processors at a variety of price points. As systems become more widely available, software support will improve. IDC expects 93.9% of commercial PC shipments to be AI PCs by 2028.

The best way to understand how AI and AI PCs are being deployed in enterprise environments is to talk to the companies themselves. To that end, AMD commissioned IDC to write an Analyst Brief to better understand the market and its likely evolution in the long term, then conduct a global survey of companies with 1000+ employees. All survey respondents were manager-level or above and were either responsible for PC purchases or had input into that process. Survey respondents were drawn from a variety of industries, including design and manufacturing, financial services, and telecommunications.

The purpose of the survey was to understand how large companies are deploying AI today and to gauge how increased AI PC availability and capability are likely to impact these plans. If you want a full breakdown of the IDC survey results you can find them in their White Paper, available here, but I'll discuss some of the top-level highlights.

Survey Findings

AI usage at the enterprise level is already widespread, with 95% of respondents already using it in some capacity. Document summarization, content creation, and cybersecurity / fraud detection top the list, while translation and natural language understanding are the least-used capabilities.

Respondents overwhelmingly believe that broad AI deployment across their organizations will be valuable, with 97% in favor. There's a general expectation that AI PCs will offer compelling personalized experiences, enhanced privacy and reduced security risks compared to unilaterally relying on cloud-based services and remote data processing.

IDC writes:

In the future, AI PCs could provide real-time recommendations for project management, offer personalized training modules based on skill gaps, or adapt user interfaces to individual preferences. Organizations could significantly reduce data exposure risks by leveraging on-device AI capabilities, such as running diagnostic models or fraud detection algorithms without cloud dependency. And AI PCs show promise as a first line of defense against cyber threats, with the potential to identify and neutralize potential vulnerabilities in real-time, offering proactive protection against malware, phishing attempts, and unauthorized access.

Widespread AI PC deployment will enable what is sometimes referred to as a hybrid AI model. Hybrid AI deployments combine AI processing at the edge (the laptop / desktop, in this case) with cloud-based services. The goal is to deliver the strengths of both cloud and local processing.

Delivering AI's Advantages Means Starting Now

The IDC White Paper ends by recommending enterprise customers engage with both ISV and hardware vendors to understand how their partners plan to integrate AI and what features / experiences will soon be available. From the AI features Microsoft integrates into qualifying Copilot+ PCs to the variety of enhancements planned for content creation applications and office suites, future end-users are going to encounter AI in several use cases and applications. AMD also commissioned IDC to write an Analyst Brief** for anyone looking for more information on AI PCs and their likely impact on your enterprise AI strategy.

AMD has been a technology leader in this area since it introduced the first x86 AI PC processors at CES 2023, and it will continue to lead with new high-performance products and partnerships across the industry. Major OEMs like Dell, HP, Lenovo have announced their first Ryzen AI PRO commercial PCs. We partner with system manufacturers and ISVs alike, to help develop solutions that run optimally on AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO processors and deliver an excellent user experience.

Talking to hardware and software vendors about potential use cases and support plans will help enterprise customers implement AI deployments with a future-ready strategy, that safeguard data while offering the personalization, user experience and performance advantages companies want to take advantage of as new AI-enable applications emerge. There’s broad agreement across multiple analyst firms that the companies who plan for AI at every level will be the companies best positioned to take advantage of it.

*IDC White Paper, sponsored by AMD, Accelerate Your Organization’s AI Strategy by Deploying High-Performance AI PCs, doc #US53192925-WP, March 2025.

** IDC Analyst Brief, sponsored by AMD, Planning for the Future: The Importance ofEquipping Your Workforce with AI PCs, doc #US52736624, December 2024.