Capability 1.1.3.1.2
Commercial Edge Inferencing Compute Deployments
Definition
Compute resources positioned close to data sources or end users/customers - such as telecommunications nodes or Internet of Things (IoT) networks - to enable rapid, low latency AI inferencing. Typically owned or managed by private firms.
Examples
- Telecommunications providers deploying AI at network edges
- logistics or manufacturing firms using local inferencing for automation.
Indicators
- Number of commercial edge deployments
- Coverage and density of edge compute sites (relevant to latency)
- Volume of inferencing operations (per second)
National AI Plan
PLAN COMMITMENT
Limited commitment
See general comment at 1.1.2.1.1 (Cloud Training Compute Infrastructure as a Service (public cloud)). Limited government commitment is appropriate given it is a private sector capability. Limited commitment by government in the plan aligns with the recommendation to maintain and monitor. To maintain agency, investment by the private sector will be required.
Stocktake
Asia/Pacific AI Maturity Study 2024 - Australia Chapter. IDC. May 2024. https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/central-libraries/us/en/documents/2024-05/idc-infobrief-asia-pacific-ai-maturity-study-2024-australia.pdf
State of Cloud, Edge, and Security in Australia 2023–24. Telstra. 2024. https://www.telstra.com.au/business-enterprise/news-research/research/state-of-cloud-edge-and-security-in-australia
The Australian Edge: The perfect market for an Edge industry. Swinhoe. Data Centre Dynamics. 16 August 2022. https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/analysis/the-australian-edge-the-perfect-market-for-an-edge-industry/
Is the Stocktake missing evidence?
Share additional information for potential future Assessments