Call it whatever you like mate...you only need common sense (and a little bit of IQ) to see the Edge AI landscape panning out.
Basically a device developer has only 2 options when it comes to having Edge AI.
Either go with a custom chip that has an in-house edge AI platform (like GrAI Matter Labs) or go with a chip that has an outsourced edge AI platform.
As outlined by Brainchip's CEO, you can go after the smaller fish by selling a chip with the edge AI platform or you go after the bigger fish with outsourcing the edge AI platform. Brainchip has gone with the latter first which will eventually gather the smaller fish...listen to Sean's first few podcasts!
The pace of AI development is so rapid and the development of an edge AI platform is so specialised and costly that there is no way for a company like Qualcomm, ARM, NVIDIA etc.. to enter this field, unless you are an Intel or IBM that have been pumping billions into the R&D of this field for years. Of course the other option is for a Qualcomm or NVIDIA to take over an edge AI developer and take their IP and incorporate it into their chip. However once they do this, which will probably cost a couple of billion (ask Intel!), then they have to continue the R&D program and have to then be competitive in the edge AI field...I'm sure companies like Qualcomm has done all the calculations regarding profitability and outsourcing the edge AI technology appears best.
It just happens that Qualcomm's Snapdragon is the front runner to be in the majority of IoT devices with 5G connectivity...don't ask me why.
This is just great news for any company that can produce an outsourced edge AI platform and its great news for Brainchip who appears to be the first and currently the only edge AI developer that has gone in this direction. Of course there will be others who will convert their edge AI platform able to be outsourced but the Brainchip horse has bolted far ahead already...both in technology and the all important, marketing!
I hope you like horse racing...my bet is on the Brainchip horse
(20min delay)