[Conversation with Akio Iriyama]What is the impact of the local shift in generative AI brought about by Intel?

By 2024, the use of AI is expected to continue to advance. Not the cloud,It is expected that work that uses AI on local terminals such as laptops will increase.The key to this is the performance of the notebook PC.is. This is because in order to fully utilize AI locally, not only high performance is required, but also many other features such as security and power saving are required.

Among these, what is attracting attention isIntel’s semiconductor technologyIt is. Announced the other day,Intel® Core™ Ultra Processor” has optimal performance for local shift of AI, and also has a remote management system “Intel® vPro® Platform”, realizing a high-performance and secure business environment.

This time, we will talk about the importance of semiconductors in the AI ​​era and the role that Intel will play.Akie IriyamaProfessor and in charge of Intel’s “Intel® vPro® Platform” for enterprises at IntelTakashi SakamotoA conversation with Mr.

Intel’s semiconductor technology will become the foundation of the AI ​​era

–I’m sure it’s still fresh in your memory that the global semiconductor shortage became a hot topic during the coronavirus pandemic. As the AI ​​market continues to grow, what do you think about Intel’s role as a semiconductor manufacturer?

Mr. Akie Iriyama (hereinafter referred to as Iriyama): Needless to say, semiconductors and Intel will continue to grow in importance. For example, I see ChatGPT as a complete breakthrough, and I think it’s the same state it was in at the beginning of the Internet era. Back when you were connected to the Internet using ISDN lines, you probably never could have predicted that in the future you would be able to watch movies freely on Netflix. There is no doubt that a similar revolution will be brought about by AI in the future.

The other day, I spoke with DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Schliemann, who is currently partnering with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman to launch a startup called Inflection AI, which has raised 700 billion yen in just a few months. There is. It has a tremendous sense of scale.

Like thatAI requires overwhelming computing power, and for that purpose, not only software but also hardware is important.Rather, it is no exaggeration to say that hardware, or semiconductors, is everything.That’s about it. That’s why Apple makes its own semiconductors, and Sam Altman of OpenAI also wanted to get into semiconductors.

I have high expectations for Intel in terms of semiconductors needed for AI.

Mr. Takashi Sakamoto (hereinafter referred to as Sakamoto):thank you.Intel is an infrastructure vendoris. We are the only company that has such a full lineup in the field of PCs and servers, including not only AI but also CPUs that handle most of the calculations that are the basis of information processing, and networks that handle large amounts of data at high speed and securely. Probably. Considering how much your work productivity will increase if our products improve their performance by just 10%, we feel that we have a great social responsibility.

The strength of Intel® Core™ Ultra processors is low power consumption

——I think this is precisely in anticipation of the AI ​​era, but Intel recently announced thatIntel® Core™ Ultra Processorwas announced.

Sakamoto:yes.Intel® Core™ Ultra ProcessorThe feature is that it is a semiconductor specialized for AI processing.Equipped with NPU (neural processing unit)That’s what I did. GPUs have the highest absolute processing power in AI, but GPUs have the issue of relatively large power consumption. If you have a notebook PC where power saving performance is important, you may run into the problem of quickly consuming the battery. That’s why we propose an Intel® Core™ Ultra processor with NPU. Although the processing power is still limited compared to GPU,Overwhelming advantage in terms of power consumptionI have.

In addition to the power consumption issue, another point in making such a proposal is:Unbalanced distribution of computing resources poses a riskBecause I think. For example, one problem that has arisen during the coronavirus pandemic is the processing of video and audio during video conferencing. It is extremely inconvenient to process these on the server side and then send them back to the PC.ThereforeWhat was reconsidered was the sufficient processing power of the local PC.was. Of course, it’s not just a matter of running things locally; it’s about having the server side and the local side divide the processing that each side is good at. In other words, avoid “uneven distribution.”

The same goes for AI. For example, in the future, when an AI assistant appears that can provide the best answers for each user, is it right to have all the processing done by a central server?Also, in the first placeTo what extent can important information be passed to a shared server?There is also the issue of security. From this perspective, it is important to avoid uneven distribution of computing resources.

The local shift in AI brought about by AI PCs will have a major impact on business.

——The idea that Mr. Sakamoto mentioned is embodied in the idea proposed by Intel.AI PCWhat kind of impact will it have if generated AI, which until now has been mainly cloud-based, can now operate in local environments such as laptops?

Sakamoto: In business, for exampleMicrosoft’s Copilot, Office applications, Adobe’s applications, etc. have great benefits from AI PC.I think. I’m also looking forward to seeing what kinds of applications will appear in the future that will bring benefits. In that sense, I feel the same as the early days of the Internet, as Professor Iriyama mentioned.

——At Intel100 million AI PCs will be shipped by the end of 2025We have set a goal of I think this is a very lofty goal, but I think it will have a big impact if it is achieved.

Entering the mountain：It’s a huge change and I think it will have an impact. What I often say is that “What humans lose to AI is the job of deepening knowledge.” I have long advocated “ambidextrous management,” which involves “deepening knowledge,” seeking optimal solutions by combining and refining existing knowledge and techniques, and incorporating a wide range of new knowledge. It is a combination of both the “search for knowledge” that challenges people even if they fail.

Both are important, but Japanese companies are especially good at “deepening knowledge.” This is because the “search for knowledge” may fail or end in vain. If this continues, I feel like I’m not getting results and end up quitting.

However, it is this “deepening of knowledge” that will be stolen by AI in the future.On the other hand, even if I fail, I will continue to challenge myself.“Searching for knowledge” is difficult for AI and can only be done by humans.If this is the case, the value of this “search for knowledge” should increase in a world where AI is widespread.is.

For example, one of the companies in Japan that is most advanced in DX is actually Marugame Products. With Marugame products, all the work that normally would not need to be done by humans is done by digital technology and AI, so employees can focus solely on serving customers. As a result, Marugame Seimen ranks first in customer satisfaction rankings

.

*C Space “Customer Experience Value (CX) Ranking 2022”I call the work of dealing with such people “emotional labor.” Robots do manual labor,When we enter an age where mental labor is done by AI, the last thing that will be left to humans is “emotional labor.”

What is it? I welcome AI because it frees humans from unnecessary tasks.

What is the Intel® vPro® platform that delivers high performance and security?——Intel said “AI Everywhere” strategy and work to popularize AI.Intel® vPro® Platform

1200vpro-badge-3000Sakamoto:Intel® vPro® Platformis a remote management system for businesses developed by Intel since 2006. Intel is a semiconductor manufacturer, so we have clean rooms for semiconductor manufacturing, and PCs are also running to manage the equipment operating there. If those PCs malfunction for some reason, it is not easy to rush to the clean room and perform maintenance on the PCs.So from outside the clean roomI want to remotely operate or restore my PC

……. These on-site needs were one of the reasons why the Intel® vPro® platform was created.And what is still important isSecurityis. In this regard, the Intel® vPro® platform is fully loaded with our semiconductor-based security technology.In recent malware countermeasures, it is not possible to take sufficient measures just by checking against blacklists; instead, it is necessary to find the movement itself that indicates that “this is suspicious.”.Such fuzzy responses can be achieved using the latest AI technology such as NPU.Intel® vPro® Platform

1200shutterstock_1917307604——Another feature of the Intel® vPro® platform is “Cost reduction effect

”, but what kind of effect does it have?Sakamoto:First and foremost, it can be managed remotely. I think it’s a big advantage that you don’t have to go to the location.Remote management can significantly reduce costs.

. This is similar to the effect of AI that Professor Iriyama mentioned. Efficiency and automation allow humans to focus on the work they should be doing.

What the Intel® vPro® Platform can do for your business in the age of AI——As Professor Iriyama said at the beginning,Intel® vPro® PlatformorAI PC,Intel® Core™ Ultra Processor

Technologies such as these are likely to become a major strength in the future AI era.Entering the mountain: I think so.What Mr. Sakamoto said this time is something that I strongly agree with.Energy will be the biggest challenge as we enter the age of AI and semiconductors

I guess so. When it comes to consuming a tremendous amount of electricity to run AI, we are going against the times. As I am an outside director at various companies, I understand that companies are being forced to take measures to combat climate change.In that sense, the Intel® Core™ Ultra processor is a great product because of its low power consumption.For companies, introducing Intel’s AI PCs will lead to efforts towards SDGs.

I think it is.

PCs are now infrastructure. Only Intel can create PCs that are powerful but do not consume electricity, reduce costs, and are secure and safe, and this is a point that can be very appealing to decision makers in private companies. I myself often work with a small notebook PC in Japan and other parts of the world, so I have high expectations for Intel’s technology. In fact, we’re also participating in today’s conversation from the Philippines.

–Just as Professor Iriyama travels around the world to work, I believe that in the future it will be normal for humans to work while traveling. In this context, the Intel® vPro® platform seems to support “knowledge exploration.”Entering the mountain：Kyoto University President Yamagiwa’s “empathy revolutionAccording to this book, humans have lived on the move for a long time. During the approximately 7 million years since humans first appeared, most of them were on the move, and when they started farming, they settled down. Therefore, although there are some good aspects to the current settlement style, there are also problems such as urbanization creating a gap between the rich and the poor.Now, thanks to the PC, humans can live on the move again.

. I actually feel that a nomadic lifestyle is part of human nature.

It can also be said that moving easily leads to the “exploration of knowledge.” Because the best way to transcend your own narrow perception is to go physically far away and meet strangers in places you’ve never seen before. All of the outstanding managers and innovators around me are constantly moving around a lot.Sakamoto

:I love PCs, and have been using them ever since the 8-bit era, and I have seen PCs “swallow up” tasks that were previously done on specialized equipment. Most recently, it’s been video conferencing. During the coronavirus pandemic, I feel that the deeply-rooted idea that “it is common sense to greet people face-to-face at the first meeting” has faded.On the other hand, that’s allPCs must be safer because they consume a lot of things, and their performance must not be reduced.I would like to utilize Intel’s technology there.

I think.

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