Intel and Altera Usher in New AI Capabilities for the Edge at Embedded World

In a landmark announcement at Embedded World, Intel alongside its subsidiary Altera, unveiled a suite of edge-optimized processors, FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), and market-ready solutions, marking a significant stride in embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into the fabric of edge computing. These innovations are set to enhance AI’s reach across a multitude of sectors, including retail, healthcare, and industrial domains, thereby redefining the landscape of edge computing.

Dan Rodriguez, Intel’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Network and Edge Solutions Group, emphasized the transformative potential of these offerings, stating, “This next generation of Intel edge-optimized processors and discrete GPUs is a leap forward in empowering businesses to integrate AI seamlessly with compute, media, and graphics workloads.”

The newly introduced Intel® Core™ Ultra, Intel® Core™, and Intel Atom® processors, coupled with discrete Intel® Arc™ graphics processing units (GPUs), are engineered to propel innovation in AI, visual computing, and media processing. This leap forward promises to catalyze faster and more intelligent decision-making at the edge, emphasizing on-premise computing.

In particular, the Agilex™ 5 FPGAs are tailored for mid-range applications, boasting unparalleled performance per watt. These FPGAs, with AI integrated into their architecture, promise a new level of integration, low latency, and enhanced computing prowess, catering to intelligent edge applications.

Agilex 5 FPGAs for mid-range applications with best-in-class performance per watt target a broad set of applications, including video, industrial, robotics, medical and others. (Credit: Altera, an Intel Company)

Intel’s venture into AI-enhanced edge devices is built upon an impressive foundation of over 90,000 edge deployments. The introduction of Intel Core Ultra processors heralds a new era in image classification and inference performance, blending the prowess of Intel Arc GPUs and a neural processing unit (NPU) into a unified system-on-chip (SoC) solution.

Moreover, the Intel Core and Intel Atom® processor series have been meticulously optimized for the edge, delivering remarkable graphics and packet processing throughput, respectively. These advancements not only foster innovation but also ensure scalability and flexibility in deployment, underscoring Intel’s commitment to enriching edge AI and graphics performance.

Parallel to Intel’s revelations, Altera announced updates to its FPGA portfolio, promising to streamline AI integration across various applications. Sandra Rivera, CEO of Altera, noted, “Altera is spearheading the FPGAi era by melding programmability with tensor capabilities, thus enhancing FPGA and AI tools for a superior developer experience.”

Altera’s Agilex 5, the first FPGA with AI interwoven throughout its fabric, represents a milestone in FPGA technology, offering a compelling blend of high performance and energy efficiency. This innovation, alongside Altera’s comprehensive portfolio and extended product life cycles, illustrates a steadfast commitment to flexibility, re-programmability, and ease of deployment in AI solutions.

The significance of these announcements transcends the mere technological leap; it embodies Intel and Altera’s vision for a future where AI’s potential is ubiquitously realized across the edge. Enterprises stand to benefit immensely, leveraging vast data generated at the edge to deploy sophisticated AI devices, thereby streamlining operations, enhancing customer satisfaction, and embracing advanced visual workloads.

Amitav Mukherjee, CEO of Tiami Networks, shared his experience, highlighting the transformative impact of Altera’s FPGA AI Suite, which significantly reduced the integration time of AI capabilities, showcasing the profound efficiency and potential of these advancements in real-world applications.

As we stand on the brink of this new era, the collective efforts of Intel and Altera not only pave the way for unprecedented innovations in edge computing but also promise to unlock the full potential of AI, making it more accessible, flexible, and impactful across various industries.

Tags: Agilex 5, Altera, FPGA, Intel

Categories: Altera, FPGA, Intel

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