Huawei's consumer business has unveiled its first mobile AI computing chipset and platform that aims to change the way smartphone owners interact with their devices.
The Kirin 970 octa-core mobile chipset has a dedicated neural processing unit that promises to be able to provide AI computing tasks significantly faster and with less power than conventional chipsets.
The chipset was able to process 2,000 images per minute during a benchmark image recognition test, which Huawei said is faster than other comparable chips on the market.
The platform also incorporates cloud AI technologies, but plans to combine this with on-device AI capabilities to overcome the current shortcomings in terms of latency, stability and privacy.
Huawei consumer CEO Richard Yu said the goal is for cloud AI and on-device AI to complement each other.
“As we look to the future of smartphones, we’re at the threshold of an exciting new era. Mobile AI is on-device AI plus cloud AI,” he said.
“Huawei is committed to turning smart devices into intelligent devices by building end-to-end capabilities that support coordinated development of chips, devices, and the cloud. The ultimate goal is to provide a significantly better user experience. The Kirin 970 is the first in a series of new advances that will bring powerful AI features to our devices and take them beyond the competition.”
Yu said the platform will allow devices to become more cognitive of user needs and able to provide personalized and readily accessible services.