While AI used to be a buzzword sprinkled around casually to describe new levels of machine or device automation, there’s little question now that true AI-based machine learning and intelligence is making a meaningful impact in more and more consumer, commercial and industrial devices. However, the AI edge (or end point devices) has a unique set of requirements versus AI in the data center or cloud. At the edge, robust, low latency connectivity (5G) is critical, as well as low power consumption and the ability to offer capable AI processing on device, with as little reliance on cloud data centers as possible, in order to hit latency and performance targets.

One major player that has been driving the advancement of the connected, AI-powered intelligent edge is Qualcomm. The company has been innovating in this space for years and several generations of products now, such that it has delivered over 1.8 billion AI-enabled chips to date, when you consider the number of products it has shipped with an AI Engine on board.