Last week, as observed by DigiTimes, Taiwanese electronics manufacturers gathered at a forum in anticipation of the Computex 2024 exhibition. At this event, the CEO of Asustek Computer, Samson Hu, discussed the complex path that Artificial Intelligence (AI) PCs will have to navigate in their development.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors at Pegatron, Tzu-Hsien Tung, who also attended the forum, suggested that the concept of the AI PC would eventually become obsolete as all personal computers will be equipped with AI functionalities. Early estimates indicate that by 2027, these computers will constitute about 66% of the initial market, making any specific mention of their AI capabilities redundant.
Hu outlined five essential aspects of AI PC development. Firstly, AI PC hardware platforms must increasingly improve performance over time. Secondly, these enhancements will challenge the industry’s drive towards making devices thinner, lighter and more energy-efficient. As large language models become increasingly complex, the hardware requirements to support them will increase, imposing a significant challenge for processor developers to balance performance and efficiency.
Thirdly, interaction with cloud infrastructure is inevitable and constant in the AI era, as all the necessary data cannot be processed effectively by end-devices alone. Fourthly, software developers will need to create a convenient universal platform to quickly develop applications for all popular processor architectures.
Lastly, PC manufacturers and software developers will need to educate users about the new features of their products – a job that, Hu notes, has grown to include training mature adults who historically have not been the primary target audience for such devices.
