By Claus Hetting, Wi-Fi NOW CEO & Chairman
Multiple new processor platform launches means that AI is already everywhere in the PC world. And according to Intel, great Wi-Fi makes AI PCs even better. At WWC USA in Sarasota, Intel’s Eric McLaughlin dove into the topic of Wi-Fi connectivity’s critical role in enabling true AI experiences on PCs. It’s all about delivering a high speed, low-latency, and accurate data to feed to AI engines wherever they may reside, he said.
The AI-based PC experience ushers in a new era of intelligent computing and with Wi-Fi connectivity delivering quality data to all relevant AI processors at the right time, the power and benefits of AI will be strongly enhanced. This was one of the key messages delivered by Intel’s Eric McLaughlin, VP & GM of Wireless Solutions, at WWC USA in Sarasota last month.
“Data types feeding AI can be anything from bursty and real time to very large data set being processed in the Cloud, and processing can take place in multiple locations including in the PC itself, in a home gateway, or in the Cloud. But if you have poor connectivity, this can create big problems. Without the right data, AI computations become inaccurate, which means solutions become laggy and sluggish or worse. They just won’t work the way they are supposed to,” Eric McLaughlin said.
Great connectivity – on the other hand – delivers a more responsive, immersive, collaborative, and ultimately much more productive PC AI experience. “Massive data sets, extremely large streams, and enormous high-definition files are often used in complex, real-time computations that require near-instantaneous access to data on the device, on other devices, in the Cloud, and elsewhere,” he said.
Add to this the stream of data produced by the Wi-Fi connectivity system itself. “We’re excited about Wi-Fi not only as a transport mechanism but also as a generator of information, which can be used to enhance both AI applications and the connectivity experience itself,” Eric McLaughlin said. Wi-Fi information includes for example what APs are available on the network, what technologies are supported, device and router settings, what bandwidth is available, what applications are active, types of drivers, and much more.
All of this data feeds into Intel’s AI-based ‘Killer’ and ICPS connectivity software solutions, which are designed for optimising the user experience. Intel also offers the Intel Connectivity Analytics Program through which third-parties can access to Wi-Fi telemetry and analytics data and then use this to improve the performance of their systems, Eric McLaughlin said.
In the end it all becomes a positive feedback loop where data feeds the optimisation processes, which in turn feeds and improves premium connectivity, which then produces more data for AI applications, which is then fed back into the loop, where the cycle starts again. “This is why I am so bullish on wireless and Wi-Fi specifically being critical for AI on all sorts of devices. Ultimately, at Intel we’re uniquely positioned with AI PCs and connectivity to accelerate a transition in human-technology interaction,” he said.
He also pointed out that in the future, wireless will not only be about connectivity. “We’re already using Wi-Fi sensing to unlock the PC, and we have a lot more sensing using, including presence detection, authentication, security, and more. We’re also looking at gesture control and gesture recognition, even breathing detection, as we move towards future Wi-Fi standards that may include higher bandwidth sensing using 60 GHz signals, for example,” Eric McLaughlin said.
/Claus.
