The Future Of AI Is On-Device

Uploaded on 2025-06-11 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Artificial Intelligence, FREE TO VIEW

For many, AI has been considered an inescapable buzzword over the last few years. Its potential is undeniable, but as both the capabilities and understanding of AI has grown, so has mixed public opinion.

A major concern amongst consumers and businesses is the security of their data. In fact, a recent report showed that 71% of AI users have regretted sharing personal data with an AI tool. With experts also warning against entering confidential information in platforms like ChatGPT, it’s clear that privacy concerns are still a major barrier to widespread AI adoption.

However, there is a welcome solution: on-device AI.

What Actually Is On- Device AI?

To put it simply, on-device AI is where the AI models are actually housed on the device itself and stays there. This could be a smartphone, laptop or a smart home device.

Up to now, AI is mostly hosted on the cloud. Where on-device AI differs is that the algorithms are actually built inside the hardware itself, and the data is processed locally. Not only does this enable real-time decision-making, lower our dependency on internet connectivity and reduce latency, it also offers enhanced data protection and security.

Crucially, it directly addresses the shortcomings of cloud-based processes and the need to share data.

How On-Device AI Addresses The Privacy Issues Of Cloud-based Models

Cloud-based models have played a crucial role in democratising AI for the masses, but they can leave user information vulnerable.

The cloud-based models see sensitive data travelling remotely to be stored by a third party. This increases the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access, including malicious activities like data poisoning, where external data is introduced to corrupt the AI’s training programme, leaving it more exposed and vulnerable.

With on-device AI, your personal information never leaves the device. This means your private data, commands, and interactions with the AI agent stay local to the gateway you are using. This reduces the attack surface, leaving fewer opportunities for hackers to try and gain unauthorised access to external servers.

More than anything, it puts control of what happens to this data in the hands of the user - something that could be crucial in changing the narrative around AI’s privacy shortcomings.

In addition to offering more secure data storage, on-device AI offers an enhanced level of threat detection. The ultra-low latency enables real-time analysis of threats, eliminating the delay associated with data transmission to the cloud servers. Threats are detected and killed before they even have a chance to spread.

The Benefits Of This Increased Level Of Security

So why is this important? With the era of agentic AI upon us, we are experiencing models that go beyond assistance; they can act autonomously to make decisions and perform tasks on our behalf.

AI models need to understand consumer preferences, requiring access to personal information. This enables devices to understand routines, behaviours and the broader context behind consumer actions, facilitating smarter and more efficient interactions.

The applications for this technology are transformative, especially in areas like home security. For example, you could instruct an agentic AI agent to autonomously alert the user to any suspicious activity around the home. It can be scaled by learning its surroundings, allowing it to distinguish between activities and even carry out specific commands for different situations. On-device AI facilitates the proactive nature of the home's security without sharing sensitive data or images of the home with a third party. This sort of seamless personalised support could be crucial in helping people feel more secure in their own homes.

Of course, this is only one example - there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different use cases from the automotive industry to smart entertainment systems. But AI must have privacy at its core, as nobody wants their personal data left vulnerable.

Embracing A Safer AI Future

With on-device and agentic AI unlocking the next level of autonomy and intelligence, the future is set to progress at a breakneck speed. As we progress, however, it is key that innovation is balanced with security, offering rapid personalised experiences without compromising privacy.

On-device AI is the first step in bridging this gap and allowing consumers to confidently utilise its full transformative potential.

Rob Moffat is Director of Sales & Business Development Europe at MediaTek

Image: metamorworks

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