Generative AI is propelling advancements in hardware and unlocking extensive application potential across various industries.
This shift has piqued the interest of Industrial PC (IPC) vendors, who are now keenly eyeing the lucrative AI opportunities within industrial sectors. However, the consensus among these vendors is that AI applications focused on recognition and detection, due to their requirements for accuracy and stability, will be the first to gain traction in industrial settings.
Nexcom highlights that as industries diversify and applications become more varied, IPC vendors will transform beyond simple hardware suppliers. Even the previously popular integrated hardware-software platforms may fall short of meeting future AI application developers' needs.
Edge computing, which aims to transition cloud-based analytics and insights to on-site execution, demands more than conventional hardware and software solutions. Nexcom advocates for a software-defined edge computing ecosystem to expedite the deployment of AI applications.
Adlink underscores the importance of understanding customer-specific applications, noting that edge AI's rise has increased demand for edge computing power, propelling the vision of "AI everywhere." However, varying applications have different computational requirements, and merely boosting hardware power without corresponding application enhancements can lead to inefficiencies.
Advantech observes that most customers pursuing AI integration do so to remain competitive. Consequently, established and mature embedded applications transitioning to AI and service-oriented models will lead the market. This includes defect detection on production lines, advanced license plate recognition, and facial recognition systems.
IPC vendors emphasize that recognition and detection technologies are well-established AI components already implemented in industrial contexts. With the impending new wave of AI adoption, extending these technologies further is a critical mission for IPC vendors as they expand their market presence.
Advantech points out substantial AI demand in sectors such as healthcare, rail transport, agriculture, and livestock. Nexcom reveals that clients in the aquaculture industry, having initially adopted IoT frameworks for automation, now seek to integrate AI to further reduce costs and enhance quality through AIoT. These clients will be primary targets for IPC vendors as they venture deeper into the edge computing market.
