AI Glossary
Edge AI
What is Edge AI?
AI processing that occurs on local devices — smartphones, laptops, embedded systems — rather than in the cloud. Edge AI enables private, low-latency inference without sending data to external servers. It is particularly relevant for applications requiring data privacy or offline operation, and is enabled by model compression techniques like quantisation and distillation.
Example in practice
A field service technician using an AI assistant that works offline in areas with no mobile signal — running a compressed model entirely on their laptop — is using edge AI to maintain productivity without cloud connectivity.
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