Exploring On-Device Generative AI and Its Privacy Implications for Personal Devices in 2024

Generative AI is like a creative wizard shaking up our world. Picture Large Language Models (LLMs) and Language Vision Models (LVMs) as magic tools, ushering in a fresh era of creativity and productivity. For coders, it’s the speedy magic touch to code; artists can be more artistic and dive into playful experimentation, and writers?

Well, they use the magic of AI prompts to craft stories with newfound ease and creativity. This isn’t just tech evolution; it’s a spellbinding shift transforming the game for creators across the professional spectrum.

The Generative AI wave kicked off towards the end of 2022 with the emergence of OpenAI’s Chat GPT. Soon, it gained company with Microsoft’s Bing Chat (now rebranded as Copilot), Google Bard AI/Gemini AI, Jasper Chat, Adobe Firefly, DALL-E, and Samsung Gauss entering the scene. Not to be left behind, Apple is rumored to be crafting its own version of Chat GPT, poised to make its mark in the ever-expanding realm of Generative AI models.

Needless to say, 2023 was all about playing around with the web and mobile app versions of those LLMs and LVMs. It was a year of figuring out the nitty-gritty, diving into the whirlwind of the AI revolution. The coming year is going to be different.

The year 2024 will introduce the ‘On-device Generative AI’ to the world. It’s already making waves, but brace yourself for the big reveal in the months to come. Wondering what it is, how it works, and why it should be on your radar, especially if data privacy is your concern? Let’s dive in and uncover the details.

What is On-device Generative AI?

When the large language models and language vision models run natively on your personal devices, it is termed On-device Generative AI. Notably, this approach ensures that the prompts used to generate images, videos, art, and text remain exclusively on the device, avoiding any transmission to online cloud platforms.

The effectiveness of On-device Generative AI largely depends on the presence of specialized hardware within the device itself, capable of handling billions of AI tasks locally. The pertinent question arises: Do we currently possess such hardware? Well, the answer is ‘Yes’.

The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen SoC integrates the first ever AI Engine to support up to 10 billion parameters of generative AI models—solely on-device. But that’s not all. The chipset also introduces an on-device AI assistant, elevating user experience by enabling natural conversations.

Picture this: three distinct AI models working in harmony, seamlessly integrated into the very heart of your device. It’s not just a technological leap; it’s a revolution in on-device AI capabilities including:-

• First Whisper recognizes speech.
• LLaMA 2 understands intent and generates responses.
• Text-to-speech model answers conversationally.

According to Qualcomm, the new on-device assistant combines state-of-the-art speech, language, and voice AI, to listen, comprehend, and respond like a human. Further, the SoC also features a Fast Stable Diffusion model to generate images in a fraction of a second on-device.
In a nutshell, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC possesses the capability to generate both text and images locally, eliminating the need to transmit your data to remote servers. What implications does this hold for end-users?

When the underlying hardware is adept at executing AI computations locally, there’s no necessity to venture into web versions of LLM and LVM services or download their mobile counterparts onto your devices. In practical terms, this translates to heightened privacy, as no app or service can leverage your text prompts to refine their models. Imagine having a 24×7 AI assistant right on your handset, catering to all your AI requirements without compromising your data’s privacy.

Moreover, with on-device generative AI, the outcomes become inherently more personalized, and tailored to your specific needs. Each smartphone or tablet takes on a unique identity.

• For instance, if you’re an artist, your smartphone becomes an extension of your artistic persona, offering prompts that align with your creative interests. Picture receiving timely suggestions related to an ongoing art festival in your city, seamlessly blending technology with your individual preferences.

• For music enthusiasts, on-device generative AI opens up a world of possibilities. Imagine your device actively listening to your surroundings and presenting prompts to create new, AI-generated tunes. The potential here is truly limitless.

• On-device generative AI could assist photography enthusiasts by suggesting unique photo composition prompts, based on your style and favorite subjects.

The potential applications of On-device Generative AI are vast and diverse, catering to the unique needs of users across various domains.

Looking ahead, the future envisions personal devices not just as extensions of our preferences but as trustworthy companions, ensuring data privacy without sacrificing functionality. Generative AI stands at the core of this evolution.