Remember when "Intel Inside" was the must-have sticker? Now, it's all about “AI."
Laptop manufacturers are showering us with promises of AI-powered machines that will revolutionize everything from work to play.
But is it a genuine leap forward or just being cleverly marketed into unnecessary upgrades?
Are we being sold a very expensive illusion based on our fascination with artificial intelligence? Here's why.
What is an AI laptop anyway?
Let's start with the basics. What even is an AI laptop? The definition is surprisingly vague.
Generally, it refers to a laptop with a processor containing an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), sometimes called a "neural engine" (Apple).
This specialized part of the processor is designed to handle simple, lightweight AI tasks more efficiently than a traditional CPU or GPU.
Think of it as the laptop's dedicated AI brain.
Microsoft muddied the waters with its "Copilot+ PC" branding, often requiring NPUs with 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second) of processing power.
Here is the problem: many laptop manufacturers are slapping the "AI" label on laptops that don't meet this standard, while laptops with powerful Nvidia GPUs (far exceeding 40 TOPS) aren't branded as Copilot+ PCs.
To make matters worse, there are three other Microsoft Copilots (Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and GitHub Copilot) that don't require a Copilot+ PC at all.
Apple, thankfully, keeps it simple, requiring only an M-series chip for its "Apple Intelligence" features.
Confused? You're not alone.
Reality check
Now that we understand what an "AI laptop" supposedly is, let's see if the available AI tools are actually useful and whether they even need a 40 TOPS NPU or if it’s just a rebranding of what we already had.
Adobe's Neural Filters (like the "photo to painting" effect) are processed on-device, but they utilize the integrated GPU, not the NPU, which is weird.
Zoom's background blur feature uses the NPU on the latest Intel laptops and produces less heat and fan noise when the NPU is utilized.
Windows Studio Effects app also leverages the NPU for background blurring and touch-ups, but the other effects were underwhelming.
Overall, camera AI features feel more like party tricks than actual productivity boosters.
Similarly, Microsoft’s Copilot—which boasts capabilities like image generation and text summarisation—is primarily driven by server-side processing rather than on-device intelligence.
It also lacks integration with local files and applications, limiting its usefulness. I believe deeper integration with local data is coming with Microsoft 365 Copilot, but it's not here yet.
Even Apple’s “Apple Intelligence,” which powers enhanced Siri features and smarter native app integrations, has its share of quirks.
While it does use the Apple Neural Engine, some key features, like notification summaries, have been reported as buggy.
The proofreading feature in Notes is solid, but the rewrite feature feels like a glorified thesaurus substitution.
Live captions are available on any Windows device, but the AI-powered live translation feature requires a Copilot+ PC.
Even basic English transcriptions didn't use the NPU. This is particularly disappointing given the potential of AI for accessibility.
Windows Recall feature takes screen snapshots to help you find previously opened content. It does utilize the NPU and has robust security features (Windows Hello, private browser exclusion, opt-in). While it excels at text and visual search, it falls short of answering questions and doesn't integrate with Copilot, which was disappointing for me.
Don't buy the hype (yet)
So, do you need to upgrade to an AI laptop? Well, as you probably guessed, the answer is no.
While the promise of AI-enhanced laptops remains alluring, the reality is a mixed bag.
Many of the AI tools I tested felt half-baked, inaccurate, or simply unnecessary. The NPU utilisation was far from optimal.
I do believe the NPU will prove valuable in the long term, but it is clear that very few applications are properly taking advantage of what it can do.
Development just doesn't seem to have caught up with the technology yet.
The current crop of AI features simply isn't compelling enough to justify an upgrade based solely on "AI capabilities."
Beyond the gimmick
If manufacturers want us to buy their new laptops, I have a message for manufacturers.
Instead of chasing the AI hype, focus on the fundamentals: deliver devices that perform reliably, manage heat effectively, extend battery life and lower prices.
These are far more tangible and impactful.
In simpler terms, save the money you are spending bombarding us with AI marketing and just make the laptop cheaper.
The writer is a contributor and a tech enthusiast
