Saving IoT and AI From Itself

The last thing you probably need to read is yet another article describing the value of edge computing. Let’s face it: 99% of the content out there now on this topic is not meant for you. It’s meant for Google SEO. All hail our content overlords!

But it says something (scary) when a recent article from tech industry booster Wired Magazine contains the statement “Big Tech--currently best known for breaking democracy, enabling the spread of medical misinformation, and knowingly endangering the mental health of children….”

Artificial intelligence is already well-covered in dystopian views of the future. To some degree, IoT has gotten off a bit easier because it feels tactical and industrial - all these little bits of data being generated by sensors and machines. But mark my words, the naysayers and doom scrollers are also coming for IoT. It’s just a matter of time.

But why is that? Fundamentally, both technologies are about taking data that didn’t exist and then taking action on it, often in real-time. Or perhaps the data did exist, but it was ‘dark’ - unused, just left as part of our digital exhaust.

So now we finally have the potential to know the real-time state of systems, the status of vehicles, the locations of people. How do we ensure this newfound power is used mainly for good, not evil? How do we get Wired back onto our side?

By keeping (most of) that data on the edge.

And I mean the ‘far’ edge. Right close to where it is generated. I’m all for multiple edge layers (the telco edge, the local datacenter edge, etc.). But some things are best handled right up close. 

So:

• Want to keep data private? Don’t push it to central systems and databases. Instead, send the ML algorithms to where the data is created.
• Require your data to be more secure? Same thing. What could be more secure than not moving the data at all?
• Need to comply with laws and regulations concerning the above? You have your answer.

Don’t think this means you are hamstrung by limited capabilities at the far edge. Tools and technologies today allow you to very quickly stand up fully capable micro clouds where and when you need them, in a consistent way, from the far edge to central clouds.

Some food for thought.

Now back to creating more content for Google!