HP has unveiled a new AI layer called HP IQ, and it looks like it could be a decent system for business work.
Announced at HP Imagine 2026, HP IQ is designed to sit across its upcoming AI PCs and workplace devices. It promises to make work “flow” more seamlessly between apps, devices and spaces. In practice, though, much of what it offers sounds very familiar.
At its core, HP IQ bundles together a set of AI tools that will debut on devices like the HP EliteBook X G2. Features include “Ask IQ” for answering prompts and a document analysis tool for summarising files.
There is also a meeting note taker and a system that logs your activity so you can pick things back up later. None of that is particularly new. It’s the same mix of assistants, summaries and note-taking we’re already seeing in tools from Microsoft, Google and others.
NearSense is the standout
HP’s bigger idea is tying all of this into its hardware ecosystem. A feature called NearSense is supposed to let nearby devices connect and share files instantly. It can also join meetings with a single click, or even cast content to screens without setup. It’s a neat concept, but again, it overlaps heavily with features already built into modern operating systems and collaboration tools.
The company is pitching HP IQ as “local-first” AI, meaning much of the processing happens directly on the device using a 20-billion-parameter model. Cloud support is available when needed. That could help with speed and privacy, especially for businesses wary of sending sensitive data off-device. There’s also tight integration with HP’s Workforce Experience Platform. As a result, IT teams have control over how everything is deployed and managed.
Still, the bigger question is whether any of this actually changes how people work. The individual features such as summarising documents, transcribing meetings, surfacing answers are useful in isolation, but they’re hardly unique.
HP IQ will roll out in stages, with early access on select devices in spring 2026. Wider availability is expected later in the year.
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