A new report from research analyst IDC forecasts a 60% increase in shipments of AI-equipped PC systems over the next three years, rising from 50 million units in 2024 to 167 million by 2027.
This growth is attributed to the integration of specialised neural processing units (NPUs) in system-on-a-chip (SoC) components, enhancing AI task efficiency.
Tom Mainelli, group VP, Devices and Consumer Research, said: "Promises around enhanced user productivity via faster performance, plus lower inferencing costs, and the benefit of on-device privacy and security, have driven strong IT decision-maker interest in AI PCs.
“In 2024, we'll see AI PC shipments begin to ramp, and over the next few years, we expect the technology to move from niche to a majority."
IDC identifies three key types of AI-accelerated PCs - Hardware-enabled, Next-generation, and Advanced AI PCs - as the main contributors to this surge.
Despite this, IDC predicts that PCs using cloud-based AI services will double the number of NPU-based systems by 2027.
Supporting this trend, a recent Gartner's report projects a significant increase in general AI PCs and smartphones, from 29 million units at the end of 2023 to 295 million by the end of the year.
