Some AI companies are developing smartphones designed to run 100-billion-parameter AI models continuously in the background, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said in a recent interview, a move that could add to pressure on established makers such as Samsung.
AI phones and the 100-billion-parameter goal
Amon said some firms at the forefront of AI have told Qualcomm they need phones capable of running at least a 100-billion-parameter model and keeping it “running kind of all the time.” He did not disclose names: “I have to be careful not to disclose names, but some AI companies, some of the companies at the forefront of AI, are telling Qualcomm, ‘By 2028, I need to make sure that I have the ability to run at least a 100-billion-parameter model in a phone, and I need to have this thing running kind of all the time.'” He added, “Well, AI companies are starting to do phones.”
Samsung, which already faces stiff competition from Apple and Chinese smartphone brands, could encounter even stronger rivalry if AI firms bring their own devices to market. According to Amon, some of those AI companies have already begun developing their own hardware.
