Artificial Intelligence at the Edge
This paper addresses the critical challenge of effectively deploying AI systems within complex edge computing ecosystems for developers and researchers, particularly concerning real-time application requirements. It is a foundational review of a developing field.
This paper explores the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and edge computing, driven by the increasing demand for real-time interactive applications in various societal domains. It highlights the potential of deploying AI at the network edge to power new applications and enhance infrastructure efficiency, especially with advancements in 5G/6G communication and hardware accelerators.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing applications aim to support a variety of societal needs, including the global pandemic situation that the entire world is currently experiencing and responses to natural disasters. The need for real-time interactive applications such as immersive video conferencing, augmented/virtual reality, and autonomous vehicles, in education, healthcare, disaster recovery and other domains, has never been higher. At the same time, there have been recent technological breakthroughs in highly relevant fields such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), advanced communication systems (5G and beyond), privacy-preserving computations, and hardware accelerators. 5G mobile communication networks increase communication capacity, reduce transmission latency and error, and save energy -- capabilities that are essential for new applications. The envisioned future 6G technology will integrate many more technologies, including for example visible light communication, to support groundbreaking applications, such as holographic communications and high precision manufacturing. Many of these applications require computations and analytics close to application end-points: that is, at the edge of the network, rather than in a centralized cloud. AI techniques applied at the edge have tremendous potential both to power new applications and to need more efficient operation of edge infrastructure. However, it is critical to understand where to deploy AI systems within complex ecosystems consisting of advanced applications and the specific real-time requirements towards AI systems.