At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, Dell Technologies signaled a notable shift in how it talks about artificial intelligence in personal computers — pulling back from the strong “AI PC” marketing narrative that dominated tech shows last year.
📉 Consumers Aren’t Buying Because of AI
Dell executives, including Kevin Terwilliger, head of product, openly acknowledged that most buyers aren’t choosing PCs primarily for AI capabilities. Despite including Neural Processing Units (NPUs) — hardware that enables on‑device AI calculations — in its new models, the company found that consumers are more interested in core features like performance, battery life, and price than the buzzword “AI.”
Terwilliger remarked that AI doesn’t seem to drive purchase decisions, and in some cases the heavy focus on AI may even confuse customers rather than help them.
📊 Shift in Messaging at CES
Unlike many competitors this year — especially those heavily pushing the Copilot Plus AI PC narrative tied to Microsoft’s Windows ecosystem — dell deliberately de‑emphasised AI‑first marketing at its CES presentations. Instead, it focused on practical laptop improvements such as hardware performance, battery efficiency, and design refinements.
This shift reflects a broader reassessment within the PC industry: while AI technology continues to be integrated into machines, it may no longer be a compelling standalone selling point for everyday buyers.
📌 What This Might Mean for the PC Market
· Dell’s candid stance suggests AI fatigue among consumers, who want useful features they understand rather than tech buzzwords.
· Other manufacturers may reconsider how aggressively they brand and promote AI in laptops and desktops.
· Companies could pivot to highlighting performance outcomes enabled by AI (like longer battery life or faster workflows) instead of AI as a feature in itself.
In short, CES 2026 showed that AI is still part of future PCs, but (for now) buyers care more about real‑world benefits than about the AI label itself — and dell is one of the first major PC makers to say that out loud on the big stage.
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