‘We Don't Need an AI PC Yet’ is the costliest mistake enterprises are making: Dell’s Jacinta Quah

Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as the next big shift in computing. The technology has already evolved from AI tools that execute tasks based on user prompts to AI agents capable of autonomously carrying out tasks on the user's behalf. According to Dell Technologies, this shift is rewriting how businesses plan to upgrade their PC fleet.

On the sidelines of Dell Technologies Forum 2026, Jacinta Quah, Vice President, Client Solutions Group & Modern Workplace, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC) at Dell Technologies, told Business Today why organisations are weighing routine hardware refresh and preparing for AI readiness for the next three to four years.

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“If you look at the evolution of AI, we are shifting from an era of where AI helps you with a task to an AI that helps you to execute a workflow,” she said. Due to the shift, Quah emphasised that companies must think ahead when buying PCs. If a company buys a PC today, it should not only consider what employees need right now but also make sure the device has enough processing power, memory, and AI capabilities to handle AI apps and workflows that may be introduced in the coming years.

“You want to plan ahead the workload that's coming on the device,” she noted.

Alongside autonomous AI, Quah mentioned that the second major shift is where AI actually runs. “AI has started in a cloud and then moved on-prem and now it's moving to a device,” Quah said, a migration she attributed to two forces: data control and cost.

What stays on the device, and what goes to the cloud?

As AI becomes autonomous, it not only brings opportunities, but it also brings challenges when it comes to security. For this reason, Quah stressed the greater need for governance. “As it becomes more autonomous, one of the key things that we got to address is how to govern it. You want to make sure you set it up so that you address the security and privacy,” she said.

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When asked about how a company should decide what workloads belong on-device versus in the cloud, Quah said, “It really depends on the deployment context, the use case that you are running and the outcome that the customer wants to get out of it,” noting that cloud still holds an edge “especially where skill and orchestration is needed.”

Quah highlighted that most businesses are adopting a hybrid AI strategy. “You have the PCs that are bringing intelligence to the workforce, you have a workstation that's helping specialised group with more advanced local development capability and then you're also seeing cloud as part of the solution. So hybrid is where we see most enterprises are moving with their AI deployment,” Quah stated.

She also highlighted the need for on-device processing, especially for organisations handling sensitive intelligence. However, the bigger driver is AI agents moving from single-prompt chatbot interactions to multi-step, looping tasks. “As the agent is helping with the task, they're going to plan, they're going to take action, they're going to use in a loop until it's finished, the token usage skyrockets,” Quah said. In addition, on-device generation offers predictability: “It will help with economics; it will help with the predictability of your costs as well.”

India's AI PC adoption grows

In terms of AI PC adoption in India, Quah noted that the country is rapidly shifting from experimentation to deployment. “What we are seeing with our Indian customers and enterprises is they are moving beyond a proof of concept or pilot to integrating AI into their core business processes,” she said.

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According to an IDC InfoBrief study commissioned by Dell and Intel, 51% of PC users surveyed in India have adopted AI PCs, putting India among the leading markets in the region. However, it trails behind markets like Thailand (60%) and the Philippines (58%), but ahead of Japan, South Korea, and China.

Quah credited the pace to “tech-savvy workforce,” a “strong focus on operational efficiency,” a “thriving ISV ecosystem” in India, and “increasing emphasis on security and control.”

Biggest misconception about AI PCs

When asked about the single biggest misjudgment businesses make about AI PCs, Quah said, “I think the misconception is that we probably do not need an AI PC today.” She highlighted the rapid progress in technology, pointing to how quickly agentic AI has accelerated in just the past year.

There are more workloads that will be coming on the PC that will require AI features. So if organisations are not looking ahead at what their workforce will be running in one to two years, they may be in a situation where they have refreshed with a PC without AI capability. And in less than two years, they need to refresh. That will cause more complexity and costs.”

She urged the organisation to “look ahead on the workload” and “make a refresh decision based on what the employees will need over the next three to four years. And also think of it as part of the business innovation tool and not just a device.