New Report Forecasts 60% of PCs to Have AI Capabilities by 2027
According to a recent report by market research firm IDC, it is predicted that by 2027, 60% of PCs sold will be AI-capable. The report estimates that around 167 million PCs, equipped with hardware specifically designed for generative AI, will be sold in 2027, accounting for the majority of the market share. This projection comes as no surprise, considering that most CPUs and APUs from Intel and AMD are expected to feature some form of Neural Processing Unit (NPU) or NPU-like functionality by that time.
However, it is worth noting that the definition of AI-capable PCs in this report focuses on those with an NPU. This disregards the fact that modern PCs with discrete GPUs can also handle AI tasks effectively, especially when it comes to running AI image generation locally. While NPUs may have the potential to surpass GPUs in the future, at present, GPUs remain the preferred choice for resource-intensive AI workloads.
To categorize AI-capable PCs, IDC divides them into three groups. The entry-level category refers to machines with NPUs that offer less than 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of AI processing. The next category, labeled next-generation AI PCs, encompasses those with NPUs providing 40 to 60 TOPS. Finally, the top-tier advanced AI PCs offer over 60 TOPS.
Currently, the latest Hawk Point APU from AMD boasts an NPU with up to 16 TOPS. Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake chips claim to deliver 34 TOPS, although this figure combines the CPU, GPU, and NPU capabilities within the chip. On the other hand, Apple’s latest M3 silicon comes with an NPU that offers 18 TOPS. Intel plans to triple the TOPS performance of Meteor Lake with its Lunar Lake CPUs, though it is unclear whether this refers to the NPU alone or the chip’s total TOPS capacity.
The rapid scaling of NPU performance is expected in the coming years. The true practical applications of this increased power beyond generating intriguing yet slightly unsettling image mashups remain uncertain. Nevertheless, the trend of AI-capable PC hardware is undeniable.
In conclusion, as the IDC report suggests, the future of PCs is set to see a significant integration of AI hardware capabilities. Whether this will revolutionize the world of computing or simply enhance existing applications remains to be seen. With NPUs and GPUs evolving rapidly, the next few years promise exciting advancements in AI-focused computing.
