HP Inc. is betting that artificial intelligence will not replace workers but instead remove the digital friction that makes work more complicated than it needs to be.

Speaking at HP Elevate 2026, Koh Kong Meng, managing director for Southeast Asia at HP Inc., said the company is evolving beyond its traditional identity as a hardware manufacturer into an AI-driven solutions provider focused on improving people's relationship with work.

"It is HP's vision and mission in the future of work to help customers reduce that friction through technology and improve their employees' relationship with work," Koh said.

HP's latest Work Relationship Index found that only one in five knowledge workers has a healthy relationship with work, a figure the company believes can be improved through better technology.

"Many or most of them report that if they have better technology tools that they can use in their work, that relationship index will improve," Koh said. "Because once employees are engaged, their productivity improves."

He added that HP is embedding AI across its entire portfolio to make technology easier to use.

"[We are] leveraging AI to develop our products and putting them into our solutions so that customers can use them a lot better and a lot easier," Koh said. "Instead of typing script or learning how to write script, they can just use natural language."

The strategy comes as AI adoption accelerates in the Philippines. HP Philippines managing director Ida Evina Ong-Co cited research showing that 86 percent of Filipino knowledge workers already use AI, while 92 percent of organizations have adopted AI in some capacity, representing a P1.8-trillion opportunity for the country.

"AI is accelerating what is possible, yet for many people, work still feels harder than it should," Ong-Co said. "The challenge is not simply adding more technology but managing growing complexity and creating work experiences that are simpler, more connected and more secure."

To address that challenge, HP introduced HP IQ, an AI-powered ecosystem that connects devices, collaboration spaces and workplace applications into a unified experience.

"What makes HP different is that AI is not just a feature but an experience across the entire [workflow]," Ong-Co said. "AI will not scale if it remains fragmented across tools. It scales where devices, experiences and platforms work as one system."

HP is also pushing a hybrid AI strategy that processes workloads directly on devices instead of relying solely on cloud infrastructure.

"Our proposal is what we call Hybrid AI," Koh said. "If you put AI on the edge, you get three advantages: data security, cost and speed. You don't have to send your data over the cloud."

The company unveiled the HP EliteBook X G2 and the HP EliteBoard G1a, which it described as the world's first AI keyboard PC, alongside AI-powered workforce management tools capable of predicting device failures, automating IT support and allowing administrators to query workplace data using natural language.

For Ong-Co, the goal is to make AI accessible rather than overwhelming.

"Our approach is about helping customers adopt AI with confidence through connected, manageable and secure experiences," she said.

She added that HP's vision extends beyond devices.

"Our commitment is to help people and organizations move forward simply, securely and confidently. Ultimately, our goal is to help people and organizations in the Philippines do their best work in an AI-driven world."

Koh said the company's focus remains on making AI practical instead of complex.

"If we can reduce friction and help people work better, then technology has served its purpose," he said.