Partner content: How to tackle your AI PC adoption challenges

AI PCs have emerged at a crucial time for device refreshes.

AI PCs have emerged at a crucial time for device refreshes.

Devices purchased at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic now over four years old, and this has coincided with the end of support for Windows 10. As such, many IT leaders are likely making important decisions about the types of devices to add to their fleet.

The first AI PCs started shipping last year, so it is still a relatively new market, but they have already garnered a considerable level of interest from IT leaders and a flurry of new releases from hardware vendors and OEMs.

While many are optimistic that AI PCs will be truly disruptive for the PC market, with some predicting that AI PCs could be rolled out as standard in the future, some hesitation and uncertainty from IT leaders is to be expected.

To understand more about potential roadblocks to AI PC adoption, Computing surveyed over 100 endpoint estate decision makers to discern their plans, priorities and needs in this area.

Hurdles to adoption

When asked for the biggest barrier to AI PC adoption, 50 per cent of respondents selected upfront cost. In the current economic climate, procurement decisions face scrutiny from many different stakeholders, and kitting out employees with pricier devices is no different.

A lack of understanding around the benefits, and challenges building a business case also ranked highly, chosen by 35 and 34 per cent respectively. This indicates that there is an information need among IT leaders, who may require more guidance or resources on how their organisation will benefit before making the leap.

The immaturity of the AI application ecosystem was chosen by 34 per cent, indicating that some respondents may be waiting for the market to mature or for new applications to be released before investing.

This signals a degree of uncertainty among IT leaders. They appear concerned about spending money on AI PCs without a clear idea of the use cases and business outcomes for their organisation.

However there is an acknowledgement that while the benefits of AI PCs may not be felt instantly, they will likely emerge soon. Computing asked respondents whether the benefits of AI PCs will outweigh the higher costs within their next refresh cycle, and 31 per cent agreed. This suggests an awareness of how the long-term benefits AI PCs, such as greater efficiency and innovation, can outweigh the upfront cost.

A proactive approach

Rather than being swept up in the hype that currently surrounds AI PCs, organisations must have a clear strategy for how they will fit into their device refresh cycle. They must evaluate the types of devices that will be most beneficial, identify use cases, understand how they will fit within their existing IT infrastructure, how they will handle the transition to local processing, and, importantly, how they will measure success.

With any digital transformation project, starting small is usually the answer. Organisations should evaluate which departments will benefit most from AI PCs and identify key use cases, before rolling them out more widely where appropriate.

This was echoed by Louise Quennell, Senior Director Client Solutions Group UK at Dell Technologies during Computing’s latest DESKFLIX episode :

“Implement [AI PCs] among a specific set of users in a pilot. You need to demonstrate value to your organisation. How is this going to work for me? How do I monetise it? What's my return before scaling it up?

“Gradually integrate AI capabilities into existing systems. Get the feedback, work the systems, work it through, and gain the results. Make the tweaks and adapt your plans gradually.”

As was demonstrated by survey respondents’ concern about a lack of understanding of benefits of AI PCs, organisations may lack the internal skills to fully embrace the technology. Collaborating with third parties and appointing internal champions is key to ensuring access to the necessary resources to make informed decisions about AI PC adoption and ensure that once the technology is rolled out, it is being used to its full potential.

“A big one is enhancing your understanding by collaborating,” said Louise Quennell. “We’ve been working with our customers to look at what this means for them? Where are people on their journey? How does this work? How do they utilise it? How do they deploy it? We've been raising a community of peers and partners to share knowledge and help with implementation.

“I think the other big learning for us is getting an internal champion to educate and support goals. There’s still a fear factor and people don't know what they don't know. So we need to explore, get a champion, build that community, and build that peer group in those different organisations.”

In order to keep pace with the fast-moving developments in AI and new ways of working this will herald, organisation must be proactive. While it may be tempting to wait and see how the market progresses before committing to a widespread rollout, IT leaders must act now to understand how AI PCs fit into their long-term device strategy, or risk missing out on business and commercial benefits.

Visit our dedicated content hub, in association with Intel and Dell, to discover our latest DESKFLIX episode. By learning from peers and industry experts alike, these sessions, alongside supporting content and research, equip technology leaders to build their AI PC strategy with confidence.

This Article is sponsored by Intel