Can someone explain how AI works in mobile?

Question

I’m curious about how AI works in mobile. Like, when I use features like face unlock, voice assistants, or those AI camera modes – what’s actually happening behind the scenes? Is it all happening on my phone or in the cloud? I’m not looking for super technical details, just want to understand the basics of how these AI features work on mobile devices. Any explanations would be appreciated!

Answer 1

At a high level, Mobile AI features like face unlock, voice assistants, and camera enhancements are a mix of on-device and cloud-based processing, depending on the feature and device capabilities.

1. Face Unlock and Biometric Recognition: When you use facial recognition to unlock your phone, the process often happens directly on the device. High-end phones have specialized hardware like neural processing units (NPUs) or dedicated chips that securely store and process your biometric data, which improves both speed and security. When you unlock your phone, the device’s AI model compares your current image with the stored data. This is generally kept local for privacy and speed, so your face data doesn’t leave your device.
2. Voice Assistants: For simple commands (like controlling volume or opening an app), voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant can often process the request on the device itself. However, for complex queries, especially ones that require internet searches, translations, or detailed responses, the voice data is sent to the cloud. This way, larger, more sophisticated language models and databases can be used to interpret and respond accurately.
3. AI Camera Modes: In modern smartphones, AI-enhanced cameras adjust settings (like exposure, color, and brightness) based on what’s detected in the frame. For example, the AI can recognize faces, scenery, or objects and optimize the picture in real time. Many phones use on-device AI to analyze the scene and make adjustments locally, leveraging NPUs or even machine learning models specifically trained for photography.

These processes use a mix of local device resources (for speed, privacy, and responsiveness) and cloud-based resources (for handling more complex tasks), creating a balance between efficiency and functionality.

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hth

Marcin