AI PC adoption is stalling. Major brands like Lenovo, HP, and Dell are pushing AI-capable laptops into the market, but customers aren’t biting nearly as fast as they’d hoped.
"Demand is pretty slow," said Marie-Christine Pygott, senior analyst at Context.
She added that the primary culprit is the absence of a killer app driving user interest. The commercial sector is still unsure about the capabilities of AI and the relevant applications. 
"Smaller organizations are cautious with spending due to increased uncertainty," Pygott noted.
Economic conditions aren’t helping. With ongoing tariff talks adding to the instability, many potential buyers have hit the brakes on purchases.
"Some organizations have decided to wait until things become clearer and prices go down before investing in an AI PC," Pygott added.
IDC Vice President Bryan Ma echoed these sentiments during Computex, saying buyers are more focused on tariffs than AI potential, leading to further adoption delays.
"The lack of big use cases does makes one further wonder whether the momentum around AI PCs has stalled."
Current AI PCs are priced significantly higher. The average AI laptop in Europe runs around €1,000 compared to €500 for traditional models. This price gap is proving to be a dealbreaker for companies still deciding whether to upgrade.
However, there’s a silver lining. Gradual improvements and product rollouts may change the tide. HP and Dell executives revealed plans for significant growth in AI PC sales.
"By the end of the year, we project AI PCs will make up 25 percent of our sales," said HP CEO Enrique Lores.
In the meantime, the race to pilot AI applications continues, but for now, the market sits in limbo. Buyers are holding out for better pricing and proven use cases before fully diving in.
