This chip could be key to the future of AI

The chip on show at a secretive tech conference set up by Jeff Bezos is many times faster than conventional silicon chips, writes Will Knight.

The promise: The chip, developed by MIT’s Vivienne Sze, could bring powerful AI to devices where power is limited. This could dramatically boost the capabilities of many devices, including our smartphones.

The design: The chip is designed to squeeze more out of the “deep learning” AI algorithms that have already turned the world upside down. New hardware is needed because Moore’s Law, which predicts the number of transistors on a chip will double roughly every 18 months, is slowing down as it runs into physical limits.

The race: The potential for new chip architectures to improve AI has stirred up a level of entrepreneurial activity that the chip industry hasn’t seen in decades. Read the full story here.