You can’t escape AI in the workplace. Copilot has it, the web apps you use have it, and organisations are readily building with it.

But there’s a gap. Cloud AI can run on any device via a third-party server; the Artificial Intelligence (AI) you run happens on your server, or on the device itself. Old hardware won’t support it because it lacks an NPU, or a dedicated chip for AI workloads.

It’s a somewhat confusing affair. On the one hand, even a laptop from 2008 could handle ChatGPT via a browser, but not local AI apps, which are increasingly needed for enterprise-level operations, such as running models on sensitive data.

That gap is why hardware is back on the agenda for enterprise AI efforts. In a Dell survey of 750 leaders, 89% said that their PCs must support AI-driven applications and workloads (Dell Technologies IT Strategy Pulse).

Design for the way people work

AI PCs have a dedicated AI processor, an NPU, in addition to the CPU. The chip allows AI workloads to run locally alongside the CPU. The CPU can run AI, but it’s slow and consumes lots more power compared to an NPU.

PCs and laptops that have hardware-level onboard AI capabilities are necessary, but they also add to what IT has to manage.

Dell’s answer is one to consider for your organisation seriously: Dell Client Device Manager, which pulls device management into a single application. Built-in automation and centralised controls cut routine maintenance across devices, networks, and the cloud.

Those combine with devices that are matched to each role to reduce downtime, costs, and e-waste. Dell Technologies portfolio includes thin and light designs, long battery life, and modular USB-C ports in the Pro line, which are repairable without motherboard swaps.

Simplify IT and keep it secure

63% of IT decision makers in Dell’s survey said that their employees don’t fully understand how to implement GenAI securely. 69% also said they’re concerned about their organisation’s ability to protect their data.

More Artificial Intelligence (AI) in more hands widens your risk, there’s no doubt about it, so Dell builds protection into the hardware and firmware with Dell Trusted Workspace.

Dell Trusted Workspace is an endpoint security portfolio built into the hardware and firmware, so protection holds from deployment onward.

DSI Ltd is an independent Dell Technologies partner. Email us today at uksales@dsiltd.co.uk to learn more about the solutions in our article.