Edge Computing (on-device computation)

It is the carrying out of data processing processes not on a remote cloud server, but where the data is produced, meaning directly on the user’s own device.

While data is sent to remote servers to be processed in cloud computing, heavy operations take place on the phone’s or computer’s own processor in the edge computing approach. This method prevents data from going out, minimizes latency, and eliminates the necessity for a continuous internet connection.

Example: The facial recognition process in photos being done within the phone’s own chip, not on a remote server.

Go deeper

Device hardware getting stronger over time has allowed complex algorithms, which could previously only be run on massive servers, to enter the pocket directly. Machine learning models have been compressed and made runnable on end-user devices. The consequence of this architectural change in terms of privacy is direct: as long as data does not leave the device, the risk of it being intercepted during transfer or stored on a server does not arise. Processing at the edge instead of the cloud also weakens the centralized control of giant companies and gives power back to the user’s hardware.