Snapdragon chipsets are among the many first to supply generative synthetic intelligence (AI) capabilities to Android smartphones (second solely to Google’s Tensor SoC). The Samsung Galaxy S24 sequence grew to become the primary non-Pixel Android smartphone, geared up with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, to supply AI options with Galaxy AI. Nevertheless, on the Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) 2024, Apple raised the stakes when it introduced the OS-level integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT on the iPhone. In a dialog with Devices 360, Qualcomm’s Chief Advertising Officer Don McGuire stated that the Snapdragon platform is able to provide on-device LLM capabilities to Android smartphones.
Qualcomm CMO Don McGuire on Snapdragon chipsets’ AI capabilities
When requested if Snapdragon chipsets can provide an OS-level integration of a big language mannequin (LLM), McGuire stated, “We are able to already try this right now. We are able to already assist Meta’s LLMs, we are able to already assist Gemini, and we are able to already assist OpenAI’s LLMs. We are able to already assist the totally different fashions from AI hyperscalers on the Snapdragon platform.”
Don McGuire, CMO, Qualcomm
Picture Credit score: X/@donnymac (Don McGuire)
The Qualcomm govt additionally highlighted that Snapdragon chipsets are able to deal with these LLMs as a result of the corporate has been working with AI know-how for nearly 12 years. It has additionally developed its neural processing unit (NPU) in-house, which allowed the tech big to optimise these options to run effectively.
On the distinction in strategy between Appleand Qualcomm
“Principally, what Apple has finished is that they’ve outsourced their AI to OpenAI. Now, they must go to Google and ask how we deliver Gemini into this. They are going to ultimately should assist all these totally different LLMs. So, it’s a good begin,” added McGuire.
McGuire additionally acknowledged that Apple’s strategy was much like what Qualcomm has been doing for the final decade, which is to construct on-device AI capabilities. “It’s good to have that alignment from an ecosystem perspective,” he stated.
Nevertheless, the Qualcomm CMO emphasised that the corporate didn’t observe Apple’s strategy because it has been working with AI for greater than a decade and has constructed a strong basis to deal with duties requiring excessive processing energy. In consequence, it may well now provide these capabilities to smartphone makers once they wish to onboard an LLM. “Now we have a democratised strategy that’s a lot broader than a vertical walled backyard strategy,” McGuire added.
McGuire additionally defined the explanation behind Qualcomm’s open ecosystem strategy and stated, “Now we have all the time believed in democratisation of know-how so it’s not international that that is the way in which we’ve set issues up. However while you’re coping with a closed ecosystem in a vertical mannequin, there’s solely room for one factor at a time.”
“It’s telling that when one of many greatest manufacturers of units that customers use has lastly recognised that that is vital and that they should deliver an answer to the desk,” he added.
