Also known as Tiny ML , the technology is a big focus for AI researchers at the moment . The aim of it is to reduce the size of artificial intelligence algorithms , especially those that use large quantities of data and computational power , such as natural language processing ( NLP ) models like Google ’ s BERT .

Why do we need it ? For greener technology . Training sophisticated AI takes up a huge amount of energy and leaves a big carbon footprint , so as AI adoption grows , it has become clear that the technology needs to be less polluting . Another factor is the need to run inference models at the edge , for use cases like robotics , automated video security and anomaly detection in manufacturing . AI needs to run on much smaller microprocessors , often powered by batteries .

What ’ s happening in the field ? As well as academics , the tech giants such as Google , IBM , Amazon and Apple are undertaking research around the technology . There have also been commercial moves by cloud providers , for example Amazon Web Services ’ Sagemaker Neo launch . There are also collaborations between big tech and academia such as the development of TinyBERT , developed by Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Huawei Noah ’ s Ark Lab .

� QUALCOMM Qualcomm couples 5G and AI . According to the president of their Europe division , Enrico Salvatori , the combination will soon transform the automotive industry : 5G will provide critical connectivity infrastructure , while AI will allow cars to make autonomous decisions in real time .

� FACEBOOK Facebook ’ s Expire-Span technology predicts which information is relevant to a | task at hand and helps its AI systems forget the rest . This added context assists language modeling and mitigates overload .

� ESTATE AGENT COPYWRITERS Canadian startup Listing AI uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to write computer-generated real estate descriptions . Users simply need to give it a few details about their home , and the program turns it into wellwritten copy .

� CELEBRITY IMPERSONATORS Veritone launches Marvel . AI , a deepfake platform that lets celebrities generate clones of their voice . While influencers sleep , their AI impersonators record radio segments , read audiobooks , and even sponsor ads .

JUN21

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