MediaTek aims to become an edge AI enabler

EE Times took a closer look at MediaTek's efforts to prepare for the post-smartphone era. In particular, the Taiwanese chip designer is working on chips for data switches, automotive applications and AI processors for edge devices. MediaTek CFO David Ku told the website that his company aims to becoming a major player in AI chips for small devices like smart speakers:

But MediaTek isn’t just satisfied with selling tablet chips for voice-assistant speakers like those made by Sony.

In contrast to Amazon’s push for cloud-to-cloud services in its Echo devices, MediaTek sees possibilities in a hybrid model of “edge and cloud.” The race already focuses on adding more “intelligence” locally, so that smart speakers can separate human voices from non-humans, cancel music in the background, and recognize vocal patterns.

Some of those building blocks for voice AIs are getting designed into smartphones, headphones and automotive platforms, he noted.