Dell revealed that consumers are not currently buying PCs for AI features. In interview with Computer gamer ahead of CES, Dell made it clear that its 2026 products are not just about being AI-first, but go beyond focusing solely on AI-enabled computers.
“We’re very focused on providing AI capabilities in the device – virtually everything we announce has an NPU in it – but we’ve learned over the course of this year, especially from a consumer perspective, that they don’t buy based on AI,” admits Kevin Terwilliger, Dell’s product manager for Computer gamer interview. “I actually think the AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome.”
That’s a surprisingly candid admission from one of Microsoft’s biggest PC partners, especially as the software giant continues to bring artificial intelligence features to Windows and tries to convince consumers to buy Copilot Plus computers. Dell was one of Microsoft’s partners for the first Copilot Plus PC launch in 2024, adding Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips to its popular XPS 13 and Inspiron laptop lineup. Last year, Dell even added Qualcomm’s Cloud AI chips to its high-end laptops, boosting AI performance in on-premises models.
However, most of the benefits of Copilot Plus computers come from the improved battery life and performance of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips, rather than the AI features themselves.
Microsoft even had difficulty getting its flagship AI Recall feature to work for Copilot Plus computers. The controversial feature was finally launched almost a year after it was originally planned, as its rollout was delayed following concerns raised by security experts.