Ever feel like AI is a little… sluggish? You're not alone! It seems like every day brings a new, mind-blowing AI feat, but the reality is that many of these features are, well, slow. But here's where it gets controversial: This latency issue is holding back the true potential of AI, especially in areas like video and voice.
Think about it. Have you ever tried a voice conversation with Alexa, Siri, or even ChatGPT? You might notice a slight delay. While we should celebrate the rapid advancements in AI, we can't ignore that it isn't (yet) a real-time replacement for human interaction.
As Rade Kovacevic, CEO of PolarGrid, puts it: "How do I create the ‘wow’ moment for my end user? And slowness never creates the wow moment."
It's not just voice; a whole range of new products and features are held back by the current infrastructure powering AI tech. The core problem? AI has a latency problem.
But don't despair! Remember when loading a photo on a website or downloading an MP3 felt like a big deal? Then, technology built the infrastructure for near real-time everything.
This week on The BetaKit Podcast, we hear from Rade Kovacevic, founder and CEO of PolarGrid, an Ottawa-based company. They're building edge computing solutions to tackle this very problem. He explains why AI latency exists, how to solve it, and what amazing new experiences might become possible once AI can operate in milliseconds around the globe.
So, what's the solution? PolarGrid's solutions are designed to work alongside advancements in local compute and hyperscalers like AWS.
According to Kovacevic, GenAI is currently in its GeoCities moment: a brief novelty quickly outpaced by what comes next.
What do you think? Do you agree that AI's speed is a major hurdle? Or are you impressed with the current performance? Share your thoughts in the comments!
