Dell Voices What Many Are Already Considering About AI

Oh great gaming gods, hear our prayer: may 2026 be the year the AI hype finally deflates. A promising sign comes from an interview with Dell’s head of product, Kevin Terwilliger, who candidly stated that consumers aren’t swayed by AI claims and often find them confusing.

“What we’ve learned this year,” Terwilliger shared, “is that consumers aren’t making purchases based on AI. In fact, I think AI probably confuses them more than it clarifies anything.”

This doesn’t mean Dell is completely abandoning AI features in its tech, but they’re certainly downplaying it in their latest announcements at CES 2026. Terwilliger noted that during the presentation, the term “AI” was mentioned only once, and even then, it was in a negative context, referring to it as an “unmet promise.” Instead, the focus was on new laptops, desktops, tariff challenges, and some impressive new monitors—just like hardware manufacturers used to do.

When Terwilliger spoke with Dave James, he highlighted the noticeable absence of the AI buzzword, especially given its overwhelming presence in recent years. “One thing you’ll notice is that our product messaging wasn’t AI-first,” he explained. “That’s a shift from last year when we were all about the AI PC.”

What stands out to me is not just the reduced emphasis on AI, but the acknowledgment that it was misguided to prioritize it so heavily in 2025. While he mentioned that they’re still committed to enhancing AI capabilities, the shift in focus feels significant.

The term “AI” has become so broad and misused that it often loses its meaning. In gaming, it traditionally referred to the programmed behaviors of NPCs, but it has since been co-opted by companies to represent “generative AI,” which often produces less accurate content. In the context of computer manufacturers, it refers to software that adapts based on experience to optimize performance, akin to algorithms used in scientific research to accelerate advancements in fields like medicine.

So here’s to Dell for having the courage to step back from the hype. May they inspire others to follow suit as we begin to see “AI” revealed for what it truly is, and hopefully shift the focus back to celebrating creativity and originality, whether or not it’s supported by AI-driven technology.