Dell says users don't want AI PCs – A major blow to Microsoft’s Windows 11 AI plans

Dell admits that consumers are not buying PCs for AI features.
Microsoft’s AI-first Windows 11 strategy is not driving upgrades.
Windows AI features like Recall have failed to show clear value.
Consumers still care more about performance, battery life, and usability.

In a refreshingly honest interview with PC Gamer, Dell confirmed what many Windows users have been signaling for months. Consumers are not buying computers because of AI features, and in many cases, AI actually makes purchasing decisions harder, not easier.

According to Dell’s head of product, Kevin Terwilliger, AI has become more of a distraction than a selling point. “They’re not buying based on AI. In fact, I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome.”

This is not just an admission from a major manufacturer. It directly contradicts Microsoft’s core Windows 11 strategy over the past two years.

Microsoft expected AI to drive the next PC upgrade cycle

The software giant positioned Copilot+ PCs and AI-first experiences as the primary reason to upgrade hardware. The company tied exclusive features such as Recall, Click to Do, and on-device AI experiences to new NPUs, effectively turning AI into a hardware gatekeeper.

The assumption was simple. AI would create urgency. Users would want new computers because Windows 11 felt meaningfully smarter. However, that assumption has not held up. At least not yet.

Dell’s decision to deliberately avoid marketing its latest systems as “AI PCs” is telling. The new hardware still includes NPUs and all the latest AI benefits. The difference is that the hardware manufacturer chose to emphasize tangible benefits such as battery life, performance, and overall usability rather than abstract AI promises.

That messaging shift speaks volumes, especially when it comes from (perhaps) one of Microsoft’s biggest hardware partners.

Windows 11 AI features fail to address users needs

Dell’s comments reinforce a growing reality. The problem is not capability. The problem is that Windows 11 AI features do not solve problems users care about.

Recall is the clearest example. It was marketed as a flagship capability, but it quickly became controversial due to privacy and security concerns. Its delayed rollout and subsequent redesign undermined confidence before users ever had a chance to see value. Today, users are more interested in how to disable Recall than in how to use it.

Other features arrived quietly and offered limited practical value. None of them clearly justifies buying a new computer.

Dell’s COO, Jeff Clarke, went further, pointing to the “unmet promise of AI” as a factor affecting the broader PC market.

That should worry Microsoft.

AI fatigue is growing, and Windows 11 is making it worse

Microsoft has incorporated AI into nearly every layer of Windows 11, often without user demand driving those changes. From Copilot buttons to system-level integrations, the operating system increasingly feels like a test bed for AI strategy rather than a productivity-first platform.

Dell’s experience suggests this approach may be backfiring.

Consumers are not rejecting better performance, longer battery life, or quieter systems. They are rejecting vague AI messaging that fails to explain clear benefits.

When Dell says AI confuses buyers, it is effectively saying the industry has not done the work to connect AI features to real outcomes.

Microsoft should pause its AI push before it’s too late

This moment presents Microsoft with an opportunity. Instead of continuing to add AI features to Windows 11, the company could refocus on the fundamentals that users consistently request. Performance consistency, reliability, UI refinement, and meaningful productivity improvements still matter far more than AI features.

AI can still play a role, but it needs to be invisible, optional, and genuinely helpful. Not a headline feature. Not a hardware requirement. Not the reason a computer costs more.

If Microsoft listens, Windows 11 could benefit from a course correction that prioritizes user trust and clarity over hype.

If it does not, manufacturers will continue to quietly step away from the AI narrative, while Microsoft continues to push it alone.

And that would be far more damaging than admitting the strategy needs adjustment.