Artificial intelligence for businesses has arrived, and it starts with AI PCs. These devices are built to handle high processing workloads and AI-driven software and toolsets. Windows 11 Pro PCs powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors are also driving adoption for small and midsize businesses (SMBs). And the market is steadily growing, with AI PC shipments expected to reach 114 million later in 2025, up nearly 166% from 2024, according to research from Gartner.
BizTech recently spoke with Rob McGilvrey, Americas specialist for Windows commercial device partner sales at Microsoft, and Traci Taylor, enterprise client technical sales specialist at Intel, to discover how businesses can best leverage AI PCs and what’s next for this technology.
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AI PCs Offer Practical Advantages
What is an AI PC? Traci Taylor, enterprise client technical sales specialist at Intel, says that Microsoft and Intel have a simple definition: “any device that comes preloaded with a Copilot Key, exclusive AI OS experiences and an NPU.”
Both Intel and Microsoft are committed to helping SMBs realize the practical advantages of AI PCs. “Where Intel is different is that we’ve created an Acceleration Office,” Taylor says. “We reach out to ISVs and help them optimize their software for AI devices. We now have more than 480 different AI features that have been optimized or updated.” Intel Core Ultra Processors also have “threat detection baked right into our silicon,” Taylor notes.
On the Windows 11 Pro side, Rob McGilvrey, Americas specialist for Windows commercial device partner sales at Microsoft, says that “people can access their data in a natural way. I don’t have to remember the name of a file. I can search for it the way my brain works.”
Day-to-day productivity is also improved with solutions such as AI-driven optical character recognition in snipping tools, while apps such as Studio Effects offer benefits for business meetings, including eye tracking and noise cancellation.
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AI PCs Are Helping Users Overcome AI Challenges
Too often, organizations face barriers to AI adoption, including high computational demands, integration complexities and security concerns, but the Intel Core Ultra AI PC helps users overcome these challenges. For starters, AI PCs have solutions such as McAfee built in, which improves cyber resilience and helps identify deepfakes.
It’s also helping business leaders understand the benefits that these machines can bring by delivering enhanced on-device AI acceleration, improved power efficiency and seamless AI-driven workflows. The AI PC contains three processors: a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit and a neural processing unit. Each processor has its own special set of use cases, and users may benefit from trainings or collaborating with tech partners to unlock their full capabilities.
This also applies to managing power consumption. Run heavy workloads on a CPU and you’ll actually use more power than if you use an NPU, which is specifically designed to handle continuous AI tasks. It’s a mistake to rely too heavily on CPUs and “turn off AI features to save power,” Taylor says. A better way to think of it is that “using NPUs helps open up your CPU. This means less power draw and increased battery life.”
AI PCs Are Bringing Workloads Back to the Device
AI PCs are also instrumental in a new trend: bringing workloads back onto the device, a decision that offers more speed and security.
Workloads in the cloud can be negatively affected by latency, and any data sent off-device represents a security risk. Copliot+ is at the front of the AI PC pack. It can run AI workloads entirely on-device, allowing staff to carry out complex tasks whenever and wherever — even if they don’t have internet access. This is a huge benefit for hybrid or satellite teams.
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The caveat? “In order to take advantage, you need an NPU that has 40 trillion or more TOPS,” Taylor says.
Unique features of Copliot+ include automatic super resolution, live translation and Recall, an artificial NLP memory system that locates saved screenshots shots to help users find and remember tasks they’ve worked on. “When we look at the Intel portfolio, Lunar Lake exceeds this requirement,” Taylor adds.
The bottom line? AI PCs from Intel and Microsoft offer significant business value in terms improved battery life, higher productivity and faster processing power across AI workloads.
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