What are AI PCs and what can they do that your computer can't?

Computer companies are making new computers called AI PCs that have special artificial intelligence chips built inside them. These smart computers can think and solve problems on their own without needing help from the internet. The company Nvidia just announced a new chip called RTX Spark that will make laptops and desktop computers much smarter. This happened in Taiwan during a big technology meeting in June.

AI PCs are different from regular computers because they can run artificial intelligence programs right on the device. Regular computers usually need to connect to the internet to use AI programs like ChatGPT. But AI PCs can do AI work all by themselves, even when they're not connected to the internet. This makes them faster and more private for users.

These special computers use chips called neural processing units, or NPUs for short. These chips work together with the computer's regular brain chips to handle AI tasks. They can run chatbots, help with writing emails, and even plan vacations. Some AI PCs can even train their own AI programs, which is usually something only big computer servers can do.

The computer company HP said that almost half of all computers they sold last quarter were AI PCs. This helped them make more money than expected. But another company called Dell said they haven't seen as much demand for AI PCs as they hoped. This shows that people are still deciding if they really need these smart computers.

PC makers are hoping such powerful AI features will help draw in buyers as more people lean on generative AI for everything from sending emails to planning vacations. Companies like ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and MSI will start selling computers with Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip this fall. Microsoft and other companies already sell something called Copilot+ PCs, which also have special AI chips.

However, there are some problems with AI PCs. They cost more money to make because the special AI chips are expensive. There's also a shortage of memory chips, which makes the computers even more costly. Some experts think fewer computers will be sold in 2026 because of these high prices and supply problems.

There are also privacy concerns with some AI PC features. Microsoft created a feature called recall that would watch everything a person does on their computer and remember it all. Many people were worried this wasn't safe for their private information. Microsoft had to delay this feature and make it safer before releasing it.