How RISC-V Changes the Global Landscape of AI and ML
RISC-V offers the tools needed to foster local AI innovation while also enabling worldwide collaboration and access to a global market
17 Sep, 2024. 4 min read
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) has rapidly impacted today's global economy, influencing everything from healthcare to autonomous systems. As of 2023, 55% of organizations used AI in at least one business unit or function, compared to only 20% in 2017 [1].
As it permeates more of our economies and daily lives, AI extends beyond the technical. Every country around the world needs to work out their strategy to unlock the potential of AI to solve local problems, while also being able to access the possibilities of a worldwide market. Now, as nations rush to harness the power of AI, it has become clear that the development of robust, performant, and efficient AI/ML computing resources is a global necessity.
Enabling widespread access to AI/ML hardware and software is now a matter of global importance. RISC-V is a proven player in this effort. In this article, we’ll explore how RISC-V can transform the AI/ML sector, promote consensus-driven development and global collaboration, and bring socioeconomic benefits to countries around the world.
Improving Programmer Productivity With a Unified Model
A unique aspect of RISC-V is its unified programming model, which enables the customized development of different types of processors, CPU, GPU and NPU, under a single, consistent set of instructions and interfaces. The model provides programmers with a standardized framework and common tools that enable them to easily write versatile and efficient code across different processing units.
Through the use of a single architecture [2], RISC-V eliminates the need for separate programming paradigms for different processing units. As such, RISC-V reduces the learning curve and minimizes the overhead associated with switching between different architectures. Ultimately, this simplifies coding efficiency, reduces errors, and accelerates development cycles.
The enhanced productivity facilitated by RISC-V can lead to a competitive edge in technological advancements. Global economies that embrace RISC-V can expedite their custom AI/ML developments to solve local problems and strengthen their positions in the global tech landscape through the adoption of the RISC-V standard. Ideally, this advantage translates into economic growth, job creation, and increased influence in the digital economy.
Socioeconomically, RISC-V reduces barriers to entry for AI/ML development and democratizes access to advanced computing capabilities. Such democratization helps to encourage local innovation with worldwide impact across diverse sectors, driving societal progress, and improving quality of life.
Encouraging International Collaboration
RISC-V is transforming the computing landscape by encouraging unprecedented levels of international collaboration [3].
Specifically, the RISC-V industry standard Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) removes proprietary barriers, allowing developers, companies, and academic institutions worldwide to contribute to and benefit from the RISC-V architecture. In contrast to proprietary ISAs, where mainly major players have significant influence, RISC-V allows innovation to emerge from anywhere. It empowers smaller entities and individual contributors to take a first-hand approach in the technological revolution, resulting in a more equitable and dynamic technological ecosystem.
The net effect of this openness is the fostering of a global community of innovators, all working cohesively to drive collaborative research and development across borders. By leveraging the collective intelligence and diverse perspectives of an international cohort, RISC-V presents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate technological advancements in AI. Ultimately, the consensus-driven nature of RISC-V ensures that improvements and innovations are shared broadly.
RISC-V is also unique in that, by adhering to a common set of standards, it enables unprecedented ease of integration and interoperability among hardware and software developed by different entities worldwide. As a result, companies, governments, universities and developers can work together more effectively, pooling their resources and expertise to tackle complex challenges collectively and push the state of the industry forward.
The implications of this collaborative approach are significant. Nations that embrace RISC-V can enhance their technological capabilities through shared knowledge and resources. Brazil, for example, is developing AI infrastructure based on RISC-V, focused on High-Performance Computing (HPC), semiconductor technology, and large language models [4]. Such a collaborative spirit can lead to stronger international alliances and partnerships and drive economic growth and technological progress on a global scale.
Breaking Vendor Lock-In
Finally, one of RISC-V’s most important value propositions is that it introduces a new paradigm in which developers and companies have a wider range of choices for AI processing. Namely, the RISC-V ISA enables the design and implementation of custom processors, and also for the RISC-V semiconductor ecosystem to develop a wider range of pre-developed AI chips to choose from. Expertise and technologies from the RISC-V ecosystem of members can support any development, with a breadth of choice that also prevents your choice of AI vendor creating a long term dependency.
By eliminating vendor lock-in, RISC-V enables developers to work faster, be more creative, and explore more flexible and rapid development cycles. RISC-V can further support the development and use of advanced technologies without restrictions on innovation. Where the goal is to create an equitable AI/ML landscape, RISC-V can help regions innovate independently, foster local talent, and establish a robust technological infrastructure that supports long-term growth and sustainability, while also maintaining access to a global market and ecosystem of partners.
The benefits of breaking vendor lock-in extend significantly to the automotive industry, for example, which is currently undergoing its own set of transformations. Here, RISC-V offers the flexibility needed to innovate and remain competitive on a global scale. As cars become more and more defined by software workloads, including increased use of AI, manufacturers can leverage RISC-V to develop bespoke hardware solutions tailored to the specific needs of their markets [5], ensuring they keep pace with or even surpass their global competitors.
Overall, by freeing the industry from vendor lock-in, RISC-V can give developers worldwide, and regions like Europe and Brazil, the tools needed to lead technological innovation and develop true digital sovereignty.
Conclusion
The modern emergence of AI/ML is more than a simple technical phenomenon; it’s a movement with significant worldwide implications. As nations strive for digital sovereignty, RISC-V offers the tools needed to build robust, independent technological infrastructures while also enabling access to a global market and ecosystem of partner expertise.
RISC-V is truly a catalyst for an equitable and collaborative future in AI and ML. As the importance of global deployment of AI/ML continues to grow, RISC-V will undoubtedly have a major role to play in the future of computing around the world.
References
[1] https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/