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I know a little secret aboutAI laptops.

At first, I hesitated in divulging this truth.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

I wondered, Do people even give a flying monkeys behind about AI laptops?

The answer is likely no.

You may be thinking, Pfft, whats the secret?

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

That AI laptops are a marketing ploy?

We already know that!

Its actually far more underhanded than that.

Acer Swift 14 AI

Acer Swift 14 AI

Ive spent over five years as a tech journalist, giving me a rare vantage point.

In one surveyconducted by Intel, 44% of respondents believed that AI PCs are gimmicky.

Another poll by TechPowerUp discovered that 84% of participants wouldnot shell out extra cash for AI featureson PCs.

Acer Swift 14 AI

Acer Swift 14 AI and MacBook Air M3

Despite this, reports are bullish on AI PCs.

Theyre expected to represent 40% of global PC shipments in 2025, according toCanalys.

AI PCs now consist of14% of the PC market.

Surface Laptop 7 from the front

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

This isnt an outlandish prediction.

After two years of testing AI PCs, I can confidently say theyre impressive.

But first, for the uninitiated, lets dive into what exactly is an AI PC.

Arrow

Whats an AI PC?

The concept of an AI PC, a computer capable of running AI workloads, is nothing new.

As such, these three aforementioned laptops are considered AI PCs.

Arrow

There are arguably better AI-ready laptops on the market, particularlygaming laptops, which often sportNvidiaGPUs.

The downside is that gaming laptops are energy guzzlers.

Copilot+ PCs, as youll find out later, give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money.

Apple 13" MacBook Air (M3,…

So where does Apple fit in with all of this?

Now, lets get to the juicy part.

Heres the truth behind the aggressive push for AI PCs.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3…

With AI being the new buzzword, companies assume that itll attract consumers in droves, right?

Thats what theywantyou to believe.

Running cloud-based AI is ridiculously expensive, and its reportedly causing anxiety in the industry.

ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED Laptop…

To address this, industry leaders are pushing AI PCs as a solution to reduce reliance on the cloud.

So no, the overarching reason for this AI PC hype isnt to ride the ChatGPT-sparked AI wave.

And no, its not to protect your privacy either.

ASUS

One study found that on-gadget AI modelsstill leaked private and sensitive information.

The truth is simple: Big Tech is reportedly scared of possible negative returns.

Who will come and rescue them?

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2023

You and your shiny new NPU.

Every time I asked that question, I could see beads of sweat forming on the representatives' foreheads.

Is that really enough to justify asking people to shell out for an AI PC?

Best Buy

However, as time progressed, the benefits became clearer.

For example, Adobe Premiere Pro now leverages the NPUs of Copilot+ PCs.

DaVinci Resolve eventuallyjoined the party, too.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3

In an Intel-dominated space, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip is sensational.

It lasted nearly 23 hours on a charge in a video rundown test I ran on it.

When it comes to performance, the Surface Laptop 7 was only narrowly defeated by theM3 MacBook Air.

Apple MacBook Pro (2023) 14.2…

The Dell XPS 13 configuration with the Snapdragon X Elite chip also blew us away.

It lasted a whopping 19 hours and 41 minutes on a charge.

And it, too, is a performance powerhouse.

P.C. Richard & Son

What now?

As mentioned, integrate NPUs into everyday laptops, shifting AI workloads to consumer devices.

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