A team of Taiwanese researchers and a tech firm yesterday unveiled what they said was the world’s smallest artificial intelligence (AI) chip, which measures 7mm by 7mm.
The “edge AI chip” was developed by National Taiwan Normal University’s (NTNU) Department of Electrical Engineering in collaboration with the Taiwan branch of T1 Technologies Inc.
They also unveiled a system development kit (SDK), which is a collection of software used for developing applications for a specific device or operating system.
Photo courtesy of National Taiwan Normal University
Within the emerging concept of edge computing, “the edge” is a theoretical space where a physically distant data center resource can be accessed.
The AI chip incorporates a deep-learning convolutional network and can be used in many applications, the team said.
In the booming AI industry, most products available typically incorporate computer programs and display cards.
However, the edge AI chip can be built into mainboards and used in various applications, said professor Wang Wei-yen (王偉彥), one of the team members.
The edge AI chip can transform some devices into a smart digital assistant by carrying out AI identification and sending the result to a matching master control chip, he said.
This is where the SDK comes in, as it is used for subsequent processing and verification, Wang said.
The team said it believes that with such an innovation, product development cycles could be shortened, saving money, time and manpower, and simultaneously transforming many regular audio and video devices into AI products.
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