On-device AI
On-device AI is AI that runs directly on smartphones and PCs without the internet. The advantage is that personal information does not leave the device.
On-device AI is a method of running AI directly inside devices such as smartphones, laptops, and cars, without sending data to a cloud server. It is similar to cooking at home instead of having it delivered, so there is no information going out and it works even if the Internet is cut off.
Cloud AI has the burden of communication delay, server costs, and personal information transmission. On-device AI is an approach to solve this problem, and is spreading in the form of functions such as real-time interpretation, photo search, and document summarization being processed on the smartphone itself. The development of NPU and lightweight model are the two axes that made this possible.
However, there are limits to the memory and computational power of the device, so it is difficult to expect the same performance as the top model in the cloud. So a mixed approach is often used, with simple tasks handled on the device and difficult tasks handled in the cloud.
✅ Why it matters
- It is advantageous for privacy as personal information does not leave the device
- Operates without an Internet connection and has low response delay
- No server usage fees, so long-term cost burden is low
⚠️ Limits and debates
- Due to limitations in device performance, it is less capable than large cloud models
- Battery consumption and heat generation may increase
- Model updates and management are more cumbersome than cloud methods