Mobile AI chips. What are they actually good for?

In the recent months we’ve heard a lot about specialized silicon being used for machine learning in mobile devices. Apple’s new iPhones have their “neural engine”; Huawei’s Mate 10 comes with a “neural processing unit”; and companies that manufacture and design chips (like Qualcomm and ARM) are gearing up to supply AI-optimized hardware to the rest of the industry.

What’s not clear, is how much all this benefits the consumer. When you’re buying your phone, should an “AI chip” be on your wish list? If you want to use the latest AI-powered app that (just picking an example at random here) automatically identifies and hides your nude selfies, do you really need an AI chip? Short answer,…

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