Do you really need an AI PC in 2025? -Explained-

Mint

5 days ago

AI is now baked into your browser, your apps, and now, your laptop. 'AI PC' has become the latest sticker on the box, with every major brand pushing models that come with dedicated AI hardware. But the real question is: are these next-gen machines actually useful, or is this just another spec bump wrapped in jargon? Let's break it down.
An AI PC isn't just a laptop with smart features, it has hardware built specifically for AI workloads. The key ingredient is an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), a low-power chip designed to handle AI tasks locally, without relying on the cloud. This means things like real-time voice transcription, background blur, and AI summarisation happen on the device itself, faster and more securely.
The current crop of AI PCs runs on Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI 300, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series, or Apple's M4 chip. These are the brains behind local Copilot access, smart camera effects in video calls, live captions, and even image generation tools.
Because the timing finally makes sense. AI PCs are projected to account for nearly half of new laptop sales by the end of 2025. Demand for smarter features, improved battery life, and offline productivity has pushed manufacturers to go all in. You'll now find AI PCs across Windows (under the Copilot+ PC branding), macOS (with M4's improved ML cores), and even ARM-based machines. AI is becoming a standard.
Performance boost: From quick photo clean-ups to running large language models locally, AI PCs make previously sluggish tasks seamless.
Longer battery life: NPUs draw less power than CPUs or GPUs when running AI features, especially useful on the go.
Better privacy: Since much of the AI processing happens on your device, there's less data being sent to external servers.
Improved productivity: Copilot+ features like Recall, AI search across your files, and smart doc editing can genuinely save time, if you're the kind of user who'll use them.
Future-proofing: AI workflows are only going to expand. Buying a capable machine now ensures you're ready for what's coming.
You should consider an AI laptop if: You're a content creator, designer, or editor using apps that now come with AI baked in (like Adobe Firefly or DaVinci Resolve).
You're in business or tech, juggling presentations, emails, meetings, and large datasets.
You care about offline AI tools and don't want to depend on cloud services.
You want a laptop that'll stay relevant for the next 3–5 years as AI capabilities grow.
If your daily use revolves around Chrome, Excel, Netflix, and the occasional Word doc, you're not missing much. Also, AI laptops cost more upfront. You're paying a premium for power you might not use, yet.
Budget-conscious buyers and students can comfortably opt for traditional laptops unless their workflow specifically benefits from on-device AI.
If you're an early adopter or power user, AI PCs make sense right now. They're genuinely smarter, more efficient, and built for what's next.
But if you're the average buyer, the smarter move might be to wait. Prices will fall, features will mature, and by 2026, most mainstream laptops will come with NPUs anyway.