Edge AI Chips in 2025: How Advanced Processors Are Making Smart Devices Smarter

By Eleanor Hecks

Editor-in-Chief

Designerly Magazine

May 06, 2025

Blog

Edge AI Chips in 2025: How Advanced Processors Are Making Smart Devices Smarter

While keeping yourself informed about relevant engineering developments, you have probably heard more about artificial intelligence chips that work at the edge. These advanced components enable an ongoing interest to shorten the processing times for the world’s connected devices.

The traditional approach involved handling the data in the cloud or other distant locations. Now, edge AI chips allow direct processing on the connected products. Explore what this means for the future of internet-connected items and those who use them.

Providing Scalable Solutions

As decision-makers investigate how they will use AI chips, some tech companies have focused on offering solutions that can grow with the needs of those who rely on them. One example comes from Google, which created a component built to process data from inferential artificial intelligence models.

It is a seventh-generation custom AI accelerator that allows users to include up to 9,216 chips in their workloads. That incredible capacity caters to tech leaders with massive plans for artificial intelligence applications and those still figuring out how to optimize their uses.

The technology has already gained ground in industries ranging from agriculture to logistics. Many executives realize they will get the best results by using smart devices as extensively as possible, such as throughout facilities located on multiple continents. As more advanced processors arrive on the market and offer that necessary scalability, representatives from companies of all sizes and types will realize connected devices fit into their workflows.

Enabling Better Visibility

Edge AI chips also support industrial applications requiring real-time data to make critical decisions. Consider a case where equipment technicians must decide when to schedule service calls. Statistics suggest they could save up to 12% using predictive maintenance rather than preventive approaches. These methods also reduce downtime by alerting people to abnormalities that could cause machine failures unless addressed.

Since edge chips process data at the site rather than sending it to the cloud, people will receive essential information faster, making them more aware of what is happening in their factories, industrial processing facilities and other critical sites.

Running AI at the edge also helps users interpret the data if they use embedded algorithms to identify patterns. Most humans need substantial time to understand new information, but AI supports in making the right conclusions based on what the information demonstrates.

Smart sensors are also widely used in retail because people can determine how quickly individual products sell by linking item data to separate platforms.

Some stores also have products such as smart mirrors that encourage consumers to try different makeup shades or combine garments to create stylish outfits. It is easy to imagine how edge AI chips could further personalize the experience, providing suggestions based on what individuals have previously bought.

Supporting Innovation Through Flexibility

The rise of edge AI chips has spurred the creativity of forward-thinking tech professionals, encouraging them to think of new ways to capitalize on these components as they become more widely available and affordable.

Consider how a market research report anticipated a 33.9% compound annual growth rate for edge AI between 2024 and 2030. The analysts clarified how growing amounts of data associated with e-commerce platforms, social media companies and other popular outlets create abundant opportunities to use these advanced components. Many leaders have more information than they can effectively handle, but artificial intelligence algorithms can reduce that burden.

Similarly, tech executives want to stay on the cutting edge by developing increasingly appealing products that attract the masses by demonstrating AI’s capabilities and urging them to explore potential use cases. That has become easier due to some emerging service providers that offer AI edge chips on a pay-per-use basis.

This business model gained popularity through software-as-a-service arrangements and has expanded to allow participants to use robots and additional advancements that typically require people to pay high upfront costs.

The emerging market, known as GPU-as-a-service, allows customers to tap into providers’ existing infrastructure rather than building and managing those assets themselves. Such offerings support tech professionals in investing more time, energy and other resources into new or existing AI applications. This model is also ideal for newer market entrants, especially if leaders want to see returns on their initial investments before making bigger, more expensive commitments.

Pushing Technology Forward

These compelling examples of edge AI chips and their diverse applications show why you have plenty of reasons to stay abreast of what happens next. Whether you use them in upcoming projects or remain informed of the top entities developing and improving these components, there is much to anticipate in the coming months and years.

Eleanor Hecks is a writer with 8+ years of experience contributing to publications like freeCodeCamp, Smashing Magazine, and Fast Company. You can find her work as Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine, or keep up with her on LinkedIn.

More from Eleanor