Sometimes the truth hurts, and Dell just delivered a reality check the entire PC industry needed to hear. At CES 2026, Dell exec Kevin Terwilliger admitted what everyone’s been thinking but nobody wanted to say out loud: consumers aren’t buying Dell AI PC models because the features confuse buyers more than they help. Instead of making purchasing decisions easier, all the AI hype is actually pushing people away.
Dell’s head of product Kevin Terwilliger didn’t sugarcoat it. He explained that the company shifted away from AI-first messaging because consumers simply aren’t buying based on it. “What we’ve learned over the course of this year, especially from a consumer perspective, is they’re not buying based on AI,” Terwilliger said. “In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome.”
That being said, Dell isn’t ditching AI. In fact, every new Dell AI PC still has an NPU built in. The hardware hasn’t changed. What changed is how Dell talks about it. Instead of leading with buzzwords, they’re focusing on what people actually care about.
This shift makes sense when you look at what’s actually happening in stores. Similar to how Snapdragon X Elite laptops proved their worth through battery performance rather than AI capabilities, consumers respond to tangible benefits they can understand.
The problem with Dell AI PC marketing was simple: it solved problems most people don’t have. For professional creators or businesses handling security and productivity workflows, AI features might make sense. However, for everyday users shopping for a new laptop, terms like “NPU” and “AI acceleration” just create confusion. There’s no doubt that AI has a lot of potential. But if people can’t grasp why they need it, they won’t buy it.
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