How HP’s new IQ on-device assistant reimagines the AI interface on PCs

Written by: Anuj Bhatia 10 min readNew YorkUpdated: Mar 25, 2026 12:11 PM IST HP IQ leans on on-device AI and its biggest differentiator is privacy security and exclusivity on HP hardware. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)HP IQ leans on on-device AI and its biggest differentiator is privacy security and exclusivity on HP hardware. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express) Make us preferred source on Google Print Personal computers have become, it seems, rather boring. Every few months, PC vendors launch new line-ups, but the upgrades are often too minor to warrant consumers’ attention or spending. While companies market these features as innovations, much of the technology can feel forced rather than genuinely exciting or new. The same trend is visible in smartphones, with both categories now appearing increasingly mature. Industry insiders agree. This week, however, HP, the oldest computer maker in Silicon Valley, is trying to revive PCs with the help of artificial intelligence by introducing an AI companion that is very different from Microsoft’s Copilot or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. HP IQ, in a true sense, is a new type of AI interface that could give Windows PCs a much needed rebirth.