There is a growing optimism among PC manufacturers and chipmakers about the potential for devices to perform AI tasks locally, reducing reliance on cloud computing.

In the second quarter of 2024, shipments of AI-capable PCs reached 8.8 million units, with Apple dominating the market by accounting for 60% of these shipments.

Apple's leadership in AI-capable shipments is attributed to its entire Mac lineup, which features M-series chips equipped with Neural Engine functionality.

AI-capable PCs, which are defined as desktops and notebooks with dedicated chipsets for AI workloads, represented a significant 14% of all personal computers shipped in the same quarter last year.

Looking ahead, Canalys forecasts a substantial increase in AI-capable PC shipments, projecting 44 million units in 2024 and a remarkable 103 million units by 2025.

Microsoft has entered the AI PC market with its Copilot+ series, which launched in May 2024 and features Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips based on Arm architecture.

These Copilot+ PCs utilize Neural Processing Units (NPUs) for advanced features like Recall, which efficiently processes data without overloading the CPU or GPU.

Intel and AMD are set to enhance their offerings with next-generation NPUs, boasting capabilities of 48 TOPS and 50 TOPS, respectively, for their upcoming platforms.

Major manufacturers, including AMD, Apple, Intel, and Qualcomm, are releasing CPUs with NPUs, indicating a trend toward rapid growth in AI-capable PC shipments.

HP and Dell are also making strides in the AI PC market, with HP accounting for 8% of its Windows shipments in AI PCs and Dell slightly below 7%.

Apple's use of its Neural Engine for on-device AI tasks, such as email summarization and notification prioritization, exemplifies the practical applications of AI in consumer technology.