Dead honest takes from tech executives are rarer than unicorns at CES. Yet Dell’s Kevin Terwilliger delivered exactly that bombshell, telling reporters that consumers “are not buying based on AI” and that artificial intelligence features “probably confuse them more than they help.”
Coming from the Head of Product at one of the world’s largest PC manufacturers, this admission validates what you’ve likely suspected while browsing laptop specs peppered with incomprehensible AI jargon.
The Strategy Pivot Behind Closed Doors
Dell ditches AI-first marketing for revived XPS lineup and practical hardware focus.
Dell’s CES 2025 approach marked a dramatic shift from previous years’ AI-heavy promotion. The company revived its beloved XPS brand with thinner designs and Intel’s new Panther Lake processors, leading with tangible benefits rather than nebulous AI promises.
Every new Dell system still includes an NPU for local AI workloads—because future-proofing matters—but marketing now emphasizes what actually influences your buying decision. Battery life, build quality, display clarity, and performance metrics take center stage instead of chatbot capabilities you’ll probably never use.
COO Jeff Clarke went further, describing consumer AI features as an “un-met promise” that failed to drive demand. This brutal honesty cuts through an industry that’s spent two years convincing you that AI PCs represent the future of computing.
Industry Reality Versus Marketing Fantasy
Memory shortages and Windows transition woes compound AI feature indifference.
Dell’s pivot comes as broader challenges reshape PC purchasing. The Windows 10-to-11 transition continues stumbling, with features like Windows Recall facing security backlash rather than spurring upgrades. A significant memory shortage looming in 2026 threatens to make practical specs even more crucial than AI capabilities.
Meanwhile, competitors double down on AI messaging. Nvidia’s CES keynote mentioned “AI” 121 times, while Microsoft continues pushing Copilot+ PCs to lukewarm consumer response. Dell’s refreshing honesty suggests they’ve learned what you already knew: confusing marketing doesn’t sell laptops.
This reality check might finally push the industry toward promoting features that matter for your daily computing needs rather than theoretical AI capabilities that remain largely unused.
