Mark Brawley, President, Speedprint Technology

Today, with 24/7 access at our fingertips to personal data, images and virtually any online information, we are less likely to bother memorizing common details of our everyday lives.

Of course, when your smartphone's battery dies and you realize you can't recall your best friend's cell number or where you're meeting your colleague for lunch, you glimpse the downside of delegating to artificial intelligence (AI) so much of what we used to commit to our internal memory banks. Regardless, AI isn't going anywhere -- it was a hot topic at CES 2018, and it's viewed as a key trend to watch this year.

AI systems comprise advanced software, hardware and algorithms, performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as independent learning and problem solving. AI-powered devices can crunch huge amounts of information in a short period of time.

The availability of high-speed, low-latency mobile data allows users to access information quickly without a large power requirement, enabling real-time content streaming while making possible a growing range of applications, from augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), to cloud computing, to "smart everything."

The Linley Group expects leading device makers to integrate into their mobile processors AI neural-network engines powered by deep-learning accelerators (DLAs) that will allow implementation of such on-device machine learning tasks as biometric identification (facial, eye or voice). This will help minimize the risk of identity theft when we use our smartphones for security-sensitive applications.

In the last year, major advances have been made not only in AI, but also in 5G communications and autonomous vehicles, all of which create new challenges for automated testing. Advantest is excited to be taking a leading role in developing and advancing IC test solutions that address these challenges.