Sony, Microsoft strike deal on tiny AI chip with huge potential

Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have partnered to embed artificial intelligence capabilities into the Japanese company's latest imaging chip, a big boost for a camera product the electronics giant describes as a world first for commercial customers. The new module's big advantage is that it has its own processor and memory built in, which allows it to analyze video using AI tech like Microsoft's Azure, but in a self-contained system that's faster, simpler and more secure to operate than existing methods. The two companies are appealing to retail and logistics businesses with potential uses like optimizing warehouse and factory automation, quantifying the flow of customers through stores and making cars smarter about their drivers and environment. At a time of increasing public surveillance to help rein in the spread of the coronavirus, this new smart camera also has the potential to offer more privacy-conscious monitoring. And should its technology be adapted for personal devices, it even holds promise for advancing mobile photography. Instead of generating actual images, Sony's AI chip can analyze the video it sees and provide just metadata about what's in front of it -- saying instead of showing what's in its frame of vision.