AI at the Edge: Intel’s Vision for Real-World Impact

When it comes to scaling AI, the conversation isn’t only about the cloud—it’s about the edge. According to Matthew Formica, Senior Director and Head of Edge Product Marketing & AI PC/Edge AI Software Developer Relations at Intel, the edge represents one of the company’s fastest-growing opportunities. With more than 200 million processors shipped into edge devices and over 100,000 deployments worldwide, Intel’s edge business is vast, yet often overlooked. The mission now: demonstrate how AI at the edge is quietly shaping everyday life, from retail checkout to robotics-powered manufacturing.

The edge isn’t hype—it’s where AI meets the physical world. From traffic systems in smart cities to X-ray machines in hospitals, Intel technology is embedded in the unseen infrastructure that keeps modern society running. For Formica, the story that needs to be told is simple: edge AI powers critical real-time decisions in places where cloud latency or bandwidth limitations fall short.

At Intel, advancing edge AI means focusing on three key themes:

Robotics at the Edge: From industrial robots to autonomous mobile robots and humanoids, Intel technology is pushing forward the performance, safety, and efficiency of next-generation robotics. By combining real-time controls with advanced vision and perception AI on a single processor, Intel simplifies robot design while lowering cost barriers.

OpenVINO as a Software Backbone: Since 2018, Intel’s OpenVINO toolkit has become a staple for over 300,000 developers worldwide. From accelerating medical imaging in emergency rooms to powering frictionless checkout in retail, OpenVINO compresses and optimizes models to run faster and more efficiently at the edge. The new OpenVINO Model Hub further accelerates deployment by giving developers a one-stop shop to test models, match them with Intel hardware, and start coding immediately.

AI PCs and Developer Ecosystems: As AI moves onto personal devices, Intel sees AI PCs as the next frontier. Developers and ISVs are essential to this transition, creating applications that leverage on-device AI for new user experiences. Intel’s outreach programs and developer toolkits are designed to expand this ecosystem, ensuring businesses and consumers benefit from real-time, device-level intelligence.

The industry is also at a turning point where generative AI is merging with computer vision. Formica notes the emergence of vision-language models (VLMs) and vision-language-action models (VLAs) that can understand and interpret real-world video data. This unlocks opportunities in smart cities, factories, and logistics where contextual awareness and real-time action are critical.

Key takeaways from Intel’s approach include:

• Robotics Innovation: Unified processors that handle both real-time controls and AI perception reduce cost and complexity.
• Developer Empowerment: OpenVINO and the Model Hub accelerate time-to-value for enterprises building AI solutions.
• AI PCs: Developers play a central role in delivering next-gen on-device AI experiences.
• Generative AI at the Edge: Vision-language models bring richer insights to real-world workflows.

For companies that are AI-curious but overwhelmed, Formica’s advice is pragmatic: start with what you already have. Instead of ripping and replacing entire infrastructures, businesses can integrate AI into existing Intel-based systems to maximize ROI. Proof-of-concept projects using off-the-shelf hardware and software are the fastest way to learn, iterate, and scale.

Looking ahead, Formica is most excited about the inflection point where generative AI meets physical AI. For industries, this means new opportunities to extract insights, boost efficiency, and create business value that simply wasn’t possible before.

The full conversation with Matthew Formica is available on all major podcast platforms—or watch the full video on the Intel on AI YouTube channel.