Indians show no urge to press buy button for AI PCs

Demand for personal computers with hardware that can handle artificial intelligence tasks, or AI PCs, is cooling faster than expected globally and India isn’t an exception. Gartner has cut its 2026 global forecast for AI PCs to 49% of total PC shipments from the 55% estimate it made in late 2025 as buyers are reluctant to pay higher prices while waiting for software that can justify the upgrade.

As they cost 20-40% more than regular models, many buyers still don’t see a clear reason to pay more for on-device AI features, analysts said. At the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Dell acknowledged that consumers aren’t as enthusiastic about AI PCs as had been expected. That’s prompted the company to get back to its “roots with a renewed focus on consumer and gaming.”