Microsoft Files Patent for In-Browser AI Processing Technology

Microsoft has filed a patent for a novel technology that enables users to create and run artificial intelligence (AI) pipelines on their own devices, using web browsers. The patent, which was published on Dec 21, 2023, describes systems and methods for on-device, in-browser AI processing, which offers several advantages over existing AI processing solutions, such as improved performance, data privacy, insight generation, and AI pipeline visualization and modification.

What is an AI pipeline?

An AI pipeline is a set of one or more AI modules that perform different tasks, such as analyzing video, audio, image, or textual data, and generating insights, such as transcripts, keywords, topics, objects, faces, and more. AI pipelines are widely used in various products and platforms that use AI to enhance the user experience.

How does this technology work?

According to the patent, users can access a web portal that enables them to select and edit an AI pipeline based on their insight objective, which indicates the type of analysis and insights they want for their content. The users can then provide their content to the web portal, which segments the content into data streams and data segments and generates data features for each segment. The web portal then loads and arranges the AI modules associated with the AI pipeline and executes the AI pipeline to generate insights for the data features. The insights are then provided to the users via a user interface, or another interface provided by the web portal.

What are the benefits of this technology?

The patent claims that this technology offers several benefits over existing AI processing solutions, such as:

• Improved performance: By running the AI pipeline on the user’s device, the technology reduces the latency and bandwidth consumption associated with server-based or cloud-based computing environments.
• Data privacy: By processing the content on the user’s device, the technology eliminates the need to send the content to external servers or cloud services, which may pose data security risks or violate data privacy regulations.
• Insight generation: By allowing the user to select and edit the AI pipeline based on their insight objective, the technology enables the user to customize the type and quality of insights they want for their content.
• AI pipeline visualization and modification: By providing a graphical representation of the AI pipeline and its components, the technology enables the user to easily understand and modify the AI pipeline or its components, such as adding, removing, or rearranging AI modules, or performing preprocessing or postprocessing steps.

The patent suggests that this technology could be a game-changer for the AI industry, as it enables users to harness the power of AI on their own devices, without incurring high computing costs or compromising data security. Of course, the patent does not disclose when or how Microsoft plans to implement this technology in its products or platforms, but it indicates that Microsoft is investing in innovative solutions to deliver AI at scale, while being cost-efficient and secure.