By Siôn Geschwindt Stuttgart, Germany-based Sereact has secured €25mn to advance its embodied AI software that enables robots to carry out tasks they were never trained to do.  “With our technology, robots act situationally rather than following rigidly programmed sequences. They adapt to dynamic tasks in real-time, enabling an unprecedented level of autonomy,” said Ralf Gulde, CEO and co-founder of Sereact (short for “sense, reason, act”). Early Spotify and Klarna-backer Creandum led the Series A round. Existing investors Point Nine and Air Street Capital also chipped in as did several prominent angel investors. These include former Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, ex-DeepMind…This story continues at The Next Web

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By Hisan Kidwai It’s no secret that YouTube has long been the biggest digital library, housing songs, videos, and…
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In a few years, every new employee entering the workforce will already have become accustomed to using AI to solve problems and help with tasks – and they’re going to want the same tools at work as those they use at home. That’s the important take-away from new research that shows about a quarter of US teens have used ChatGPT for schoolwork.

We know, because we’ve seen it already; once powerful technologies take hold in the school room, they tend to proliferate across business markets later. We’ve seen it happen before with the Mac, the PC, iPad, and iPhone. We’ve seen it happen in the evolution of photo-sharing sites and social media. 

We’re going to keep seeing this happen in the future.  You don’t have to like it, but you have to accept that once a technology reaches critical mass in the schoolroom, it appears in business later.

Tomorrow’s world

Tomorrow’s employees have grown up with that tech, meaning Gen Z is also set to be Generation AI. This is going to become increasingly important to business users, who will need to make the right investments today to ensure they have appropriate tech (including experience and policy) in place. 

This is something that’s evidently important to device, service, and operating system vendors, as each and every one of them is now engaged in a rapid sprint to deploy AI in their offerings. Apple, of course, is a little unique in that it is attempting to weave privacy into the systems it provides, including Apple Intelligence, something that will be seen as of increasing importance to business users as they seek to lock down their information, both in competitive terms and also to meet data protection requirements. 

For digital natives, privacy is a currency they want to control

It’s interesting to see how Generation Z sees privacy. These digital natives want to control the digital narrative concerning their lives, have grown up with the internet, and are more likely to digest information in video than written form. 

They also understand how things work. That means they know about the privacy settings on their devices and are more likely than older generations to use them.  They are prepared to share personal information in exchange for personalized services, but are concerned about misuse, abuse, or tracking of them or their data — and don’t have much faith in the ability of companies to protect that information. 

This implies that, when they begin their working lives, they will prefer workplace solutions that provide both convenience and privacy. But as the digital transformation experience accelerated by the iPhone-led smartphone revolution showed, they will still use AI — even if companies don’t approve the services they prefer.  

This is why it is important today to test and rate existing AI systems against your own business security and privacy policies.

Invest in infrastructure

By the time your next generational employee intake takes place, you’ll want to ensure the use of AI across your organization has been tested, verified, and has become mature. Otherwise (and not for the first time), current generations will be leaving it to subsequent ones to figure out how to shave the corners off the wheel, giving those who’ve already figured out how to build better roads for those circular objects the edge when it comes to supporting any kind of customer journey. 

It remains to be seen the extent to which AI will either unleash the creativity and innovation its proponents promise us, or confine human endeavor to an Overton window defined by the people who build the AI systems we use. But we already seem unable to leave the vehicle. 

There is one more thing for business users planning their AI deployments to consider, and that’s Apple. You see, despite Siri, Apple already has a strong grip on Generation Z — its market share among US teens continues to grow. They like Apple and its services.

While they don’t see Apple Intelligence as a particularly big draw yet, in the fast-moving long game of AI deployment, so long as Apple focuses on things they care about — such as privacy — and delivers AI that does what it says it does, the company’s resurgence in enterprise markets will continue. That means demand for Apple in the workplace will continue to grow, and it will remain essential to open things up with employee choice schemes and consider Mac, iPad, and iPhone deployments across US business. 

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe. 

Source:: Computer World

By Thomas Macaulay A startup called Scenexus has unveiled plans to build digital twins of cities around the world. A spin-off from Dutch research organisation TNO, Scenexus launched this week with a new platform for urban planning. The software blends multiple datasets to clone entire cities and regions. Planners and engineers then use the replicas to precisely analyse the impacts of their ideas. According to Scenexus, the platform can accelerate their assessments from days to just minutes. They can then forecast the social, environmental, and economic impacts of developments. A host of factors can be reviewed, from traffic and safety to financial growth…This story continues at The Next Web

Source:: The Next Web

Support for Microsoft 365 ends along with Windows 10PixieMe/Shutterstock

Although Microsoft announced some time ago that Windows 10 will only be supported (free of charge) until October 14, 2025, the switch to its successor Windows 11 is only taking place slowly.

According to calculations by security provider Eset, 32 million PCs in Germany are still running Windows 10. The situation is similar in other countries. One reason for this is that although the switch to Windows 11 is free, there are stricter hardware requirements which , according to studies by Lansweeper, around 50 percent of computers in Germany do not meet.

Functional, but not supported

To urge more users to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft recently announced in a blog post that Microsoft-365 apps will no longer be supported on Windows 10 devices after October 14, 2025. “To use Microsoft 365 apps on your device, you will need to upgrade to Windows 11,” it continued.

The blog post raised numerous questions, and has since been deleted by Microsoft. However, there was no correction or explanation.

What the software giant was actually getting at is shown by a support page on the subject that was updated in December. Here, too, Microsoft points out that Microsoft 365 apps will no longer be supported under Windows 10 after the end of support in mid-October. At the same time, however, the company explains that the applications will continue to work as before. However, to avoid performance and reliability problems over time, an upgrade to Windows 11 is strongly recommended.

The reasoning: “Microsoft 365 is subject to the Modern Lifecycle Policy, which requires that customers keep the product or service up to date according to maintenance and system requirements and use Microsoft 365 on a Windows operating system for which support is currently provided.”

License versions not affected

The situation is somewhat clearer for Office versions with a one-time license: Based on the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, “Office Home & Student”, “Office Home & Business” or “Office Professional Plus” will continue to be fully supported under Windows 10 — as long as they do not reach the end of support themselves. Support for Office 2016 and 2019 will also end at the same time as Windows 10.

Source:: Computer World

By Siôn Geschwindt Four billion years ago, Earth was a fiery, tumultuous world of molten rock, volcanic eruptions, and toxic skies, with searing heat and the constant threat of asteroid impacts. Thankfully, our planet has cooled off a bit since then. Nevertheless, the Earth still radiates vast amounts of geothermal energy. It’s a clean, limitless, always-on power source lying beneath our feet — we just have to dig for it. Or get robots to do the hard work for us.  Borobotics, a startup from Switzerland, has developed an autonomous drilling machine — dubbed the “world’s most powerful worm” — that promises to make…This story continues at The Next Web

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By Deepti Pathak Have you ever received a message with ‘YW’ and wondered what it meant? Don’t worry—you’re not…
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By Deepti Pathak Capturing the beauty of the night sky has never been easier, thanks to the advanced features…
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OpenAI has started rolling out a number of new features to ChatGPT, according to Techcrunch.

The big news is support for reminders; the feature allows users, for example, to ask ChatGPT to remind them when it’s time to renew an ID or passport. Users can also ask ChatGPT to deliver a news summary or weather forecast at the same time every day — something OpenAI called Tasks.

Initially, the new abilities will only be available to paying customers of Chat GPT Plus, Team, and Pro.

Source:: Computer World

When considering new hires, 80% of corporate executives will prioritize skills over degrees, with half planning to increase freelance hiring this year to fill in for a gap in AI and other skills, according to a new study from freelancing platform Upwork.

The study, released this week, showed “unprecedented growth” in specialized AI skills, which have surged 220% year-over-year.

At the same time, degrees continue to lose relevance when it comes to hiring freelancers, with 74% of execs focused more on proven expertise. Moreover, 78% of CEOs say top freelancers deliver more value than degree-holding employees, emphasizing skills over credentials to stay competitive. And 29% of C-suite executives consider freelancers essential to their operations, with 51% saying their business would be difficult to run without freelancer support.

Skills-based hiring has been on the rise for several years, as organizations seek to fill specific tech needs such as big data analytics, programing (such as Rust) and AI prompt engineering. In fact, demand for genAI courses is surging, passing all other tech skills courses and spanning fields from data science to cybersecurity, project management, and marketing.

The top 10 highest paid skills in tech can help workers earn up to 47% more — and the top skill among them is generative artificial intelligence (genAI), according to employment website Indeed and other sources.

Skills such as genAI modeling now earn freelancers up to 22% higher hourly rates than traditional AI and machine learning roles, according to Upwork.

Even as freelancers are reshaping workforce strategies, their rise doesn’t necessarily threaten full-time roles. “It complements them,” said Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute.

In a study released in October, Upwork found that 85% of top-performing companies — which it labels “work innovators” — view freelancers as vital, with 91% planning to expand their use over the next year. Only 71% of non top-performing companies see freelancers as critical to success, Monahan said.

While cost savings, such as not paying benefits, could sometimes be a factor in hiring freelancers, it is not the primary driver of freelance hiring, according to Monahan.“Businesses prioritize freelancers for their agility and specialized expertise, which enable them to scale resources up or down as needed and address skill gaps effectively,” she said.

According to Upwork, other reasons for the increase in freelance hiring include:

94% of top-performing companies say hiring freelancers gives them access to specialized skills

89% say freelancers make their business more innovative

84% say hiring a freelancer is faster than a hiring full-time employee

In addition to hard skills, soft, human-centric roles such as personal coaching have emerged among the fastest-growing skills on Upwork’s platform, with demand increasing by 74% year-over-year. “This underscores the growing importance of guidance and adaptability as businesses invest in reskilling their workforces to navigate technological change,” Monahan said. “Freelancers are enabling companies to innovate rapidly and adapt to changing market demands.”

Upwork is not alone in its findings. According to research firm Gartner, organizations are struggling to find skilled talent, and universities — once vital for workforce preparation — are lagging in updating curricula to match modern demands. As technology and work methods advance, graduates are left with outdated skills, making specific competencies more important than degrees in proving a candidate’s value.

According to Gartner, 74% of HR leaders believe organizations are shifting to skills-based talent management, but only 41% have implemented it, while 50% are still considering it.

“Approximately half of HR leaders say that a skills-based approach to talent management has the potential to solve many of the challenges their organizations face, though only one-third are actually investing in a skills-based approach to talent management, Gartner said in its report.

HR leaders, Gartner said, should prepare for a skills-focused future by:

Assessing: Review role requirements to reduce or remove degree mandates.

Fortifying: Ready the organization to onboard and support non-degreed talent.

Attracting: Target skilled non-degreed talent and adjust EVP messaging to appeal to them.

Evolving: Plan for talent management changes to adopt a skills-based approach.

New methods of assessing skills

Companies are adopting more advanced approaches to assessing potential and current employee skills, blending AI tools with hands-on evaluations, according to Monahan. 

AI-powered platforms are being used to match candidates with roles based on their skills, certifications, and experience. “Our platform has done this for years, and our new UMA (Upwork’s Mindful AI) enhances this process,” she said.

Gartner, however, warned that “rapid skills evolutions can threaten quality of hire, as recruiters struggle to ensure their assessment processes are keeping pace with changing skills. Meanwhile, skills shortages place more weight on new hires being the right hires, as finding replacement talent becomes increasingly challenging. Robust appraisal of candidate skills is therefore imperative, but too many assessments can lead to candidate fatigue.”

In Upwork’s In-Demand Skills 2025 report, the skills that are growing in importance include:

AI Development: GenAI modeling and AI data annotation are among the fastest-growing skills, reflecting the need for technical expertise in building and managing AI solutions.

>Data Science & Analytics: >Skills such as data visualization and data extraction remain essential for making sense of complex information.

>Project Management: >Both in supply chain logistics and business operations, project managers are critical for keeping teams aligned and projects on track.

>Professional Development: >Skills such as personal coaching and training and development are increasingly sought as companies prioritize workforce reskilling.

The shift toward skills-based hiring is further driven by a readiness gap in today’s workforce. Upwork’s research found that only 25% of employees feel prepared to work effectively alongside AI, and even fewer (19%) can proactively leverage AI to solve problems.

“As companies navigate these challenges, they’re focusing on hiring based on practical, demonstrated capabilities, ensuring their workforce is agile and equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving business landscape,” Monahan said.

According to Upwork, 47% of Gen Z professionals already engage in freelance or portfolio work, reflecting their preference for autonomy and skills diversification over traditional career paths.

“This aligns with modern businesses’ needs for agile talent who can deliver measurable results, driving the shift toward skills-based hiring,” Monahan said. “If you are just looking to fill job roles, you will miss out on the rising portfolio career talent.”

Source:: Computer World

By Thomas Macaulay Yet another deal has been signed between a publisher and a GenAI leader. Paris startup Mistral and news outlet Agence France-Presse (AFP) announced today that they are combining their services to improve AI responses. The deal provides Mistral’s chatbot — imaginatively named Le Chat — with access to all of AFP’s text stories.  According to Mistral, the integration will bring “enhanced factuality” to the AI assistant. “Partnering with a globally trusted news agency like AFP allows Le Chat to offer reliable, factual, and up-to-date responses, verified by professional journalists,” said Arthur Mensch, the startup’s CEO and co-founder. Mistral also highlighted…This story continues at The Next Web

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By Deepti Pathak In today’s digital world, texting shortcuts and abbreviations help us communicate quickly. As a result, knowing…
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By Partner Content Do you use YouTube to enjoy your favourite music? If so, you might want to save…
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Microsoft is creating a new engineering group focused on artificial intelligence: Core AI — Platform and Tools. The group combines the company’s Developer Division with the AI Platforms work teams and some employees who previously reported to Microsoft’s CTO. According to The Verge, the group will be led by Jay Parikh, the former CTO at Meta and who joined Microsoft in October 2024.

Core AI — Platform and Tools will focus on building an AI platform and tools for both Microsoft’s own use and for the company’s customers. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a blog post that AI will require a record-breaking pace of development, which means Microsoft needs an AI-focused application stack to build AI apps and tools in the future.

“In this world, Azure must become the infrastructure for AI, while we build our AI platform and developer tools — spanning Azure AI Foundry, GitHub, and VS Code — on top of it,” Nadella said. “In other words, our AI platform and tools will work together to create agents, and these agents will work together to transform every category of SaaS application, and to build custom applications powered by software (i.e. ‘service as software’).”

Source:: Computer World

Save me from rich, white men who insist they and their kind are being discriminated against. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, majority owner (not the founder) of SpaceX, Tesla, and numerous other leading companies, insists that “DEI [Diversity, equity, and inclusion] is just another word for racism.” He screams, “DEI must DIE. The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination.” 

Really? I’m an older, relatively well-off, straight white man, and I know darn well that I owe a lot of my success to the fact that, except for my age, everything in the US economy has been set up to benefit me. 

In baseball terms, I started the game on first base. Black men have to get a hit to get on base. Black women step to home plate for their at-bat with two strikes against them. 

Musk and his ilk? He grew up with a millionaire, emerald-mine-owning father in South Africa and started on third base.

It used to be worse in this country. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, while the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 laid the groundwork for equal employment opportunities and non-discrimination in the workplace.

The laws were one thing. Making it a workplace reality was another. 

Over the next few decades, dedicated diversity professionals began emerging within organizations, often holding titles like Chief Diversity Officer. As businesses became more diverse, companies also started recognizing that diversity is good for business.

While DEI is also about basic fairness, it turns out that businesses that adopt it tend to do better than their rivals. Don’t believe me? How about Goldman Sachs — would you believe it? 

The global investment banking giant decided not to take companies public without diverse board representation in 2000. The financial powerhouse did so because evidence showed that companies with diverse boards outperformed those with all-male boards. Specifically, Goldman Sachs noted that companies with at least one woman on their board performed significantly better in their IPOs than those without women. Since then, the company has increased its minimum number of women board members to two. The company has also continued to support black women business owners for solid business reasons, not warm fuzzy feelings. 

This is nothing new. In 2012, the global management company McKinsey found that US companies with diverse boards had a 95% higher return on equity. 

Get the picture? DEI helps businesses do well, and the results are right there in the balance sheets.

Facts, even accounting facts, count for little as American technology leaders bow to Donald Trump. For some, like Musk and Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, it’s all about rising to power on the right-wing wave. For others, it’s simply about preserving their billions. Preserving the gains of blacks, gays, older workers — whoever — is not on their priority list.

So, Amazon has halted some of its DEI programs, Meta is killing them, and Microsoft has quietly shuttered its DEI efforts. While this trend has become more obvious since Donald J. Trump won the 2024 election, it’s been coming for a while now. Google and Meta have both shut their doors to diverse employees since 2023.

That year, the Supreme Court’s Trump-friendly majority struck down affirmative action in college admissions. That decision prompted Republican activists and some state attorneys general to target corporate DEI initiatives as discriminatory. Given a choice between fighting a political battle and quietly shutting down their diversity efforts, all too many businesses have folded their DEI tents.

Others, such as Meta — where Zuck is suffering from a middle-aged crisis with his gold chain, newly curled hair, and sudden weird fascination with “masculine energy” — appear to be on their way to getting rid of their existing diverse workforce. He says he wants to “move out low performers faster.” I expect the upcoming 5% cut to come mostly from people of color, older workers, and LGBTQ+ staffers. 

You get the picture.

What it all comes down to is that if you’re not a straight white guy, the job market is going to become a lot harder for you. As for companies? They’ll suffer as well. I fear, though, that we’re stuck with this trend until cold, hard financial facts convince corporate leadership that right-wing politics leads to poor business decisions. 

Source:: Computer World

By Partner Content Tracking a phone number is easier than ever, and you don’t need to be a tech…
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By Siôn Geschwindt Australian-German startup Quantum Brilliance has raised $20mn in Series A funding as it looks to deploy small, portable quantum accelerators that promise to supercharge the computational power of everything from data centres and robots to satellites. A quantum accelerator is a specialised hardware unit that speeds up specific quantum algorithms, or tasks. They act as co-processors to classical computers, such as CPUs or GPUs, taking on specific quantum calculations.   Austrian deep tech fund Main Sequence, In-Q-Tel (IQT) in the US, and Japan’s Intervalley Ventures led the funding round. “It represents a significant step forward as we advance the design, performance,…This story continues at The Next Web

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By Thomas Macaulay TNW Conference will be born again this summer. Over 18 years of unforgettable events, countless future tech stars have used our stage as a springboard to success. We’ve driven vast investments, showcased endless innovations, and made friends along the way. We’ve also learnt from our mistakes. But don’t worry, fellow kids — we’re not getting old yet. We’re still mixing serious business with festival vibes. We are, however, shaking the party up a bit. To celebrate our coming of age, we’re going back to our roots. Today, we’re relaunching TNW Conference with a renewed focus on our founding mission: elevating…This story continues at The Next Web

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By Deepti Pathak Getting lost in Minecraft can be frustrating, especially when you’ve been exploring. Making a map lets…
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Enterprise computers are often the ugly ducklings of the PC world, viewed as dull, slow and less feature-rich than their consumer counterparts. But vendors at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show launched a selection of business machines (alongside their consumer offerings) hoping to capitalize on the rise of generative AI (genAI). 

Despite the focus on AI PCs or Copilot+ PCs, analysts said the vendors might be a bit ahead of the market.

“I liken it to the dot.com era,” said Tom Butler, executive director of portfolio and product management for Lenovo’s worldwide commercial notebook business. “…When the dot.com era kicked off, companies immediately said, ‘I need a dot.com instance.’ …So, it’s very much like that right now. Companies, as we move into this AI PC era, [say] ‘I need an AI PC.’”

Here’s a look at some of the noteworthy business PCs announced at CES 2025 and analysis of whether vendors are hitting the mark for enterprise customers.

Asus

In addition to its Zenbook and Republic of Gamers (ROG) offerings, Asus unveiled the enterprise-focused ExpertBook B5, ExpertBook B3, ExpertCenter P400 AiO, and ExpertCenter P500. Although they’re not Copilot+ PCs (their neural processing unit (NPU) isn’t powerful enough), they qualify as AI PCs; both B5 and B3 laptops include Intel vPro for manageability and have passed the MIL-STD 810H durability tests. Neither is super light, tipping the scales at about 3 pounds.

The B5 supports up to 64GB of RAM and up to a 2TB SSD with RAID support, has an all-metal design, 16-in. screen, and security features including a fingerprint reader, facial recognition, and a smart card reader. 

The B3 has either a 14-in. or 16-in. display, supports up to 64GB of RAM and up to 1TB storage in dual SSDs. And it offers a variety of ports — USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and even an Ethernet port. (The B5 lacks Ethernet, unless you have a USB dongle.)

On the desktop side, the ExpertCenter AiO (all-in-one) comes in two models, one with a 27-in. display, the other with a 24-in. screen. The P500 is a mini tower supporting up to 64GB of RAM and up to 4TB storage on one SSD and one hard drive. 

Dell

While Dell’s rebranding plans, announced at CES, might be a bit perplexing, the company did introduce several new Dell Pro models “designed for professional-grade productivity.” They come in several flavors: Base, Plus, and Premium, and all qualify as Copilot+ PCs, based on their specs.

At the Base level, there are the Dell Pro 14 and Dell Pro 16, designed to “deliver essential performance for everyday productivity,” Dell said. They feature Intel Core Ultra 5 processors, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and screen resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. 

The company also announced Dell Pro desktops, powered by either Intel or AMD processors, available in micro, slim, and tower form factors. They are, Dell said, the company’s first commercial desktops with NPUs.

One step up are the Dell Pro 13/14/16 Plus, with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. They come in laptop or 2-in-1 form factors and use the same system BIOS to make ordering and management easier for IT departments. Dell claims up to 18.2 hours of battery life for the Pro 14 Plus, and 12.6 hours for the Pro 16 Plus.

At the top of the heap are the Dell Pro 13/14 Premium models. They’re the slimmest and lightest member sof the Pro portfolio, starting at 2.36 pounds. The Dell Pro 13 Premium offers up to 20.8 hours of battery life; the Pro 14 Premium provides up to 21.2 hours. Each can be ordered with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, up to 32GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage. 

HP

HP’s EliteBook line expanded with the company’s announcement of a trio of Copilot+ PCs. The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i Next Gen AI PC is, HP said, designed for executives, with its 14-in. UWVA OLED screen on the Intel-powered model. (The Qualcomm model offers WLED screen technology.) They can have up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage for the Intel version, or 1TB of storage for the Qualcomm version. HP touted “studio quality” microphones and a 9-megapixel camera for high quality video calls.

The HP EliteBook X Flip G1i Next Gen AI PC has multiple use modes, including laptop, tablet, and tent configurations, with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. Like the Ultra G1i, it has a 14-in. screen, although touch comes standard (it’s an option on the G1i) and it’s a WLED display, not OLED. 

The HP EliteBook X G1i Next Gen AI PC is powered by either Intel or AMD chips. The Intel model can hold up to 32GB of RAM; the AMD version offers up to 64GB. Both models can have up to 2TB of storage.

The EliteBook X machines will be available in March, with HP saying only that the Ultra G1i is “coming soon.”

Lenovo

Lenovo launched an impressive array of devices, and the two models specifically aimed at businesses both contained surprises.

The ThinkPad X9 14- and 15-in. Aura Editions are sleek, thin and light notebooks tested to meet MIL-SPEC 810H standards. Lenovo claims all-day battery life,and says the machines are designed to allow easy servicing of the battery and SSD. They offer up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

One thing, however, is missing: the X9 is the first ThinkPad to forego the trackstick. Lenovo hastened to note that it’s just for this model — other ThinkPads will continue to have the trademark red nub in the middle of their keyboards.

Two years ago, Lenovo showcased a laptop concept with a rollable screen; this year, that concept became a reality. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable’s 14-in screen expands upwards at the touch of a button, growing to 16.7 inches and providing 50% more screen space. As with the other new models, it offers up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

It is not a budget-friendly device, though; prices start at $3,500.

AI a gimmick?

As for whether these systems meet enterprise needs, analysts weighed in on what they’re seeing in the current PC market — and they were somewhat dismissive of the AI hype.

“Current AI features are over-hyped and largely invisible or are seen as ‘that’s nice to have’ to business unless the users are proactive in finding more detailed features,” said Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner. “All in all, businesses are unlikely to pay more than 5% above normal prices for an AI PC.”

“I think the AI laptops are a gimmick for the most part, efforts by the OEMs to stay relevant and bottle lightning if they can,” said Jeremy Roberts, senior research director at Info-Tech Research Group. “I have yet to have any of my enterprise or mid-market clients profess to be excited or tell me they’re changing their refresh cycle or anything to incorporate AI features at the PC level.”

IDC’s Ryan Reith, group vice president, Worldwide Device Trackers, said he saw some interest in AI PCs early in 2024, but noted it has since waned.

“What we gathered throughout most of last year, especially  around the middle of the year, is that large enterprises and most developed markets around the world were allocating budget for these genAI PCs,” Reith said. That enthusiasm declined in the second part of 2024 amid concerns that Microsoft and its partners had not delivered on expectations.

What’s important to enterprises

According to Roberts, genAI features have not excited the enterprises he deals with. “Things that excite enterprises are Autopilot compatibility for seamless deployment, TPM chips for encryption, specialized screens to limit viewing angles, decently powerful CPUs/GPUs depending on the use case, and repairability,” he said. 

“I don’t think AI features even make the top 10,” Roberts said. “Most organizations won’t be consuming AI features locally anyway — they’ll use cloud services like CoPilot or Gemini.”

Reith cited feedback from the head of commercial sales for a large OEM who said with tightened budgets and uncertainly about what can be achieved with genAI PCs, companies are shifting their spending to mid-range computers. They don’t qualify as Copilot+ devices, but are still very good PCs.

“If you get 200 PCs at a mainstream level, as opposed to 50 at a premium level, they’re going more towards the 200,” he said.

Roberts agreed: “Modern laptops are generally more than capable of handling the typical knowledge worker’s day-to-day. A Dell Latitude 5000 or 7000 (Dell Pro now?) series or a run-of-the-mill ThinkPad from Lenovo won’t struggle with Slack, Teams, or PowerPoint.”

As for what corporate users want, size and weight are often key, Reith said — and companies are now listening to their employees rather than choosing what they think they want.

 “The thin and light PCs are the trend,” Atwal said, adding, “businesses essentially want to future proof their PCs with AI capabilities so [want to] have them include an NPU.”

Lenovo’s Butler said the configuration sweet spot has shifted; it’s now 32GB of memory and a minimum 512GB of storage. And screen sizes have edged up.

“Most business laptops are in the 14- to 16-in. range,” said Roberts. “Anything smaller is quite cramped. Anything larger can be cumbersome to lug around — not to mention more expensive.”

Whither AI PCs, then?

Reith and Roberts differ on the fate of the AI PC/Copilot+ PC.

“AI PCs are a solution looking for a problem,” Roberts argued. “Most end user computing managers won’t be swayed by this branding and additional feature set. … AI will continue to be delivered primarily via the cloud. I expect the CoPilot+ PC will go the way of the Ultrabook: branding attached to computers that are only marginally relevant to the people who buy and use them.”

Reith, however, believes it’s more an issue of timing. “There’s a necessity to have on-device AI,” he said. “It’s just getting pushed forward a little bit to when that inflection point really starts to kick in.

“…I’m trying to use my words cautiously, because we do not believe that this is dead in the water. It was a good chance that then passed. It’s just that the timing was really bad, which no one could have predicted. … But nobody’s really backing off of the developments. Supply side is now just shifting some of their business plans around products. 

“…Whatever we thought was going to be the genAI PC volume in 2025, it’ll be slightly less than that, in our opinion,” Reith said. “But a lot of that will just get pushed forward to a ramp up that’s maybe more towards the end of this year, and certainly into 2026.”

Source:: Computer World