The edge artificial intelligence (AI) platform newly unveiled by Arm features approximately eight times better AI processing performance compared to its predecessor. Designed for the edge device market, targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the platform is expected to be supplied to companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Siemens, and Renesas.
Hwang Seon-wook, president of Arm Korea, said this on the 27th during a press briefing held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. On this day, Arm unveiled the 'Arm Cortex (Cortex)-A320' and the 'Armv9 edge AI platform' equipped with it. Arm is a global semiconductor design asset (IP) company, with major semiconductor corporations worldwide, including Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, and NVIDIA, utilizing Arm's technology. More than 90% of the chips produced globally, including application processors (AP) for smartphones, are designed based on Arm architecture.
The CPU unveiled by Arm on this day is a new platform aimed at the AI Internet of Things (IoT) device market. President Hwang explained the background of the product launch, stating, "As AI models become more complex, they require higher performance and more power," and "The need for flexibility in continuously updating AI devices has increased, and the importance of edge AI has become even more pronounced." He added, "Edge AI is an infrastructure that combines mobile communication networks and AI computing, advantageous in terms of low latency, security, and enhanced personal data protection compared to large-scale AI data centers."
Arm explained that it significantly improved performance compared to its predecessor to strengthen its strategy in the AI market. Jeong Seong-hoon, director of FAE at Arm Korea, said, "The Cortex-A320 CPU being unveiled this time offers AI processing performance that is ten times more powerful than the previous model," and added, "The speed of general task processing has also improved by 30%. It can perform AI learning and inference more quickly, and can be used without restrictions in various applications such as voice assistants, smart cameras, and autonomous vehicles."
He also noted that security features were enhanced to dispel concerns about rising hacking during the AI data processing. Director Jeong stated, "The newly unveiled chip includes Pointer Authentication Code (PAC), Branch Target Identification (BTI), and Memory Tagging Extension (9MTE)," and added, "These features can prevent hacking and protect important information." Based on this, Arm plans to accelerate its focus on applications handling sensitive personal information, such as finance and healthcare.
Arm is currently collaborating with various corporations, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Siemens, and Renesas, to supply the platform. President Hwang stated, "Various global corporations are developing chips tailored to specific applications using Arm's platform," and added, "The first chips are expected to start mass production next year. Different foundry (semiconductor contracted manufacturing) processes such as 14 NANO (nanometers, where 1 NANO is 1 billionth of a meter), 8 NANO, and 5 NANO will be utilized based on the applications."
Yasser Alsaeed, vice president of AWS, said, "Thanks to the new Armv9 chip, AI processing is possible with less memory," adding, "This will make it easier to utilize AI in smart agriculture, autonomous driving, and manufacturing." Daryl Ku, vice president of Renesas, noted, "The Cortex-A320 CPU will play a significant role in IoT devices where power and space efficiency is crucial."