Intel and Altera unveil Edge and FPGA solutions for AI

The focal point of this announcement is the launch of edge-optimised processors, FPGAs, and programmable solutions ready for the market, which are set to bring enhanced AI functionalities to edge computing. These innovations are targeted at a wide array of industries, including automotive, defence, and aerospace, and are expected to equip edge devices with sophisticated AI capabilities.

Dan Rodriguez, Intel's Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Network and Edge Solutions Group, highlighted the significance of these developments: “This next generation of Intel edge-optimised processors and discrete GPUs unleashes powerful AI capabilities to help businesses more seamlessly incorporate AI alongside compute, media, and graphics workloads. From manufacturing to healthcare, Intel’s extensive Edge AI experience and breadth and depth of edge-ready silicon and software help our customers deliver AI where they need it most for better business outcomes.”

The importance of Edge AI: Intel's latest offerings include a range of edge-optimised Intel Core Ultra, Intel Core, and Intel Atom processors, alongside discrete Intel Arc GPUs. These products are set to revolutionise the field of artificial intelligence, visual computing, and media processing by enabling quicker and smarter on-premise decisions through Edge computing. The Agilex 5 FPGAs, aimed at mid-range applications, are designed to offer superior performance per watt and are infused with AI capabilities, enhancing integration, reducing latency, and boosting computing power for edge applications.

Intel's commitment to Edge AI: building upon an extensive network of over 90,000 edge deployments, Intel is introducing a series of edge-optimised processors and GPUs designed to facilitate the next wave of AI-driven edge devices.

Intel's new product lines, including the Intel Core Ultra processors for Edge and the Intel Atom processors x7000C Series, are tailored to meet the demands of various applications, from retail and education to industrial manufacturing. These innovations are aimed at enabling a seamless integration of AI capabilities, enhancing image classification performance, and supporting the deployment of advanced graphical and computational workloads at the edge.

Altera's role in accelerating AI innovations: Altera has also announced updates to its FPGA portfolio, emphasising flexibility and the integration of AI tools to streamline the development process for customers.

Sandra Rivera, CEO of Altera, expressed enthusiasm about the new phase in delivering AI solutions: “We announced the launch of the new Altera brand with the goal of bringing leading technologies and innovations more quickly to the FPGA market. Today, we are excited about the next phase in our 10-plus year journey delivering flexible AI solutions.

“Altera is leading the new FPGAi era by tightly coupling programmability with tensor capabilities and infusing FPGA and AI tools for a best-in-class developer experience. Agilex 5, the first FPGA with AI-infused throughout the fabric, is now broadly available.”

This advancement is critical for Altera FPGAs, as it underscores the need for flexibility and programmability in accelerating AI innovations, offering customers the tools to tackle high-performance and mid-range FPGA-based solutions.

The introduction of these processors, FPGAs, and solutions by Intel and Altera marks a significant step forward in the utilisation of AI at the Edge, offering enterprises the ability to harness vast amounts of data to deploy sophisticated AI devices across numerous industries, thereby optimising operations, enhancing customer satisfaction, and incorporating advanced visual workloads.