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Artificial Intelligence

The Rise of On-Device Intelligence: AI’s Next Phase

Harness the power of NPUs in your AI PCs with services for Dell Pro AI Studio.
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The rapid adoption of AI in business has been nothing short of revolutionary. But as we’ve raced to implement these powerful tools, we’ve discovered that no single approach can meet all our needs. The journey from cloud-centric AI to device-based processing has taught us valuable lessons, and now we’re entering a new era.

The cloud AI era: 2023’s big bet

When businesses first embraced AI at scale in 2023, the cloud was a common place to start, as cloud solutions do have advantages:

    • Intelligence Everywhere
      Whether employees were in the office, at home, or halfway around the world, they could access the same AI capabilities through any browser or mobile app. This universal accessibility transformed how teams collaborated and dramatically shortened time-to-value for AI initiatives.
    • IT Simplicity
      One control plane. One set of security policies. One governance model. For IT departments already stretched thin, cloud AI offered blessed simplicity. Centralized cloud deployments meant that product teams could push updates instantly.

The hidden impacts of cloud dependence

But as usage exploded, cracks began to show:

    • Data Distress: Sending sensitive data to the cloud kept legal teams up at night. Data residency requirements and privacy regulations made pure cloud approaches risky for many use cases.
    • The Expense Explosion: Success became expensive. As AI usage grew exponentially, so did cloud bills. Operating expenses started eating into ROI faster than optimization efforts could keep up.
    • The Latency Labyrinth: Try running real-time video analytics or live customer assistance through the cloud. Those milliseconds add up, creating frustrating lag, which critical AI applications won’t tolerate.
    • Connectivity Chaos: Lost internet connection? Lost AI capabilities. For businesses operating in the field or unreliable connectivity zones, this was a deal breaker.

The device revolution: 2024’s answer to cloud limitations

Enter Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and the rise of on-device AI. Suddenly, PCs were AI powerhouses. The NPU is a chipset specifically designed to handle AI and machine learning workloads—enabling fast, efficient processing of on-device AI. Discrete GPUs and NPUs on powerful workstations further amplify this capability, delivering unparalleled performance for demanding AI and computational tasks.

The On-Device Intelligence Advantage

    • Privacy by Design
      Sensitive data never left the device. Personal information, proprietary documents, and confidential communications could be processed by AI without exposure to external networks. Privacy advocates rejoiced.
    • Predictable Costs
      Once NPU-equipped devices were deployed, the per-user serving cost plummeted. No more surprise cloud bills, just predictable hardware refresh cycles.
    • Work Anywhere Reliability
      Field workers, travelers, and anyone in connectivity-challenged locations could now access AI capabilities offline. The AI revolution finally reached everyone, everywhere.

Making on-device AI enterprise-ready

While on-device AI delivered immediate benefits, enterprises need a management layer to scale confidently. Dell Pro AI Studio provides that invisible control layer giving IT governance over which models run where, while protecting IP, moving high-frequency tasks like auto-complete locally to slash token costs, enabling secure offline LLMs, and eliminating developer overhead. No servers to configure, no backends to manage, no license fees: it just works.

Fast-track your on-device AI journey

Sounds enticing? To quickly realize the value of on-device AI, we combine Dell Pro AI Studio with comprehensive services that accelerate success: customized workshops that define your on-device AI strategy, identify specific use cases, and deliver measurable outcomes. From strategy to deployment, we remove the complexity of on-device AI adoption, identify specific use cases and deliver measurable outcomes.

To get going with your on-device AI solutions, learn more online or reach out to your Dell representative.

About the Author: Jose A. Rubio

Jose is a dynamic leader in AI product management and strategic partnerships, playing a key role in ensuring Dell Technologies remains at the cutting edge of AI innovation. At the heart of his work is the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA — where Jose drives the development of advanced AI solutions designed to revolutionize the modern workplace. Jose’s passion for AI-driven solutions is apparent in his dedication to enhancing workforce productivity and optimizing user experiences. His expertise spans generative AI, digital assistants, and scalable AI models, having been instrumental in crafting integrated solutions that leverage tools like Microsoft Copilot and NVIDIA's NeMo framework. By combining strategic acumen with practical implementation, Jose empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of AI, making a tangible impact across industries. Jose holds a double degree in Business Economics, alongside a range of industry certifications including NVIDIA LLMs, NeMo Framework, and Six Sigma. His knowledge and skills are consistently recognized, both as a speaker and an industry thought leader at the forefront of AI and digital transformation.