Generative AI is the Star of Qualcomm’s Next-Gen Chips

Qualcomm unveiled its latest premium chipsets for PCs and mobile devices, both designed with on-device generative AI capabilities in mind. The new PC platform Snapdragon X Elite boasts AI performance that Qualcomm says outpaces competing laptop CPUs. Meanwhile, the mobile platform Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can generate images in under a second using large language models like Stable Diffusion.

Qualcomm AI

“We are entering the era of AI, and on-device generative AI will play a critical role in delivering powerful, fast, personal, efficient, secure and highly optimized experiences,” said Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. “Snapdragon is uniquely positioned to help shape and capitalize on the on-device AI opportunity and you will see generative AI going virtually everywhere that Snapdragon goes.”

Qualcomm claims its combination of CPU, AI processor, and GPU makes it uniquely capable of bringing generative AI to users across device types. The Snapdragon X Elite platform for PCs is designed around supporting LLMs and can run models with over 13 billion parameters on-device. The platform is also far more efficient than other platforms, according to Qualcomm, completing AI processing tasks four and a half times faster than its rivals.

For mobile devices, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile processor, which will power Android devices starting next year. Like its PC counterpart, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is built around AI performance, including creative camera features utilizing generative AI. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will enable AI-powered video and photo editing tools like object removal, expansion zoom, and fake background generation. The Hexagon neural processing unit is supposedly claimed to be 98% faster than its predecessor. Qualcomm’s plans for mobile generative AI have been expanding since it reached a deal with Meta to bring the Llama 2 LLM to mobile devices. The idea is to leverage Qualcomm’s chips to enable on-edge processing of the LLM, reducing reliance on cloud connectivity and improving the latency speed of the AI when accessed through smartphones and other consumer electronics beginning next year

“Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 infuses high-performance AI across the entire system to deliver premium-level performance and extraordinary experiences to consumers. This platform unlocks a new era of generative AI enabling users to generate unique content, help with productivity, and other breakthrough use cases,” said Qualcomm senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets Chris Patrick. “Each year, we set out to design leading features and technologies that will power our latest Snapdragon 8-series mobile platform and the next generation of flagship Android devices. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers.”

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