{"id":338329,"date":"2017-04-14T04:36:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T20:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1476536"},"modified":"2017-04-14T04:36:16","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T20:36:16","slug":"how-computing-will-change-amid-challenges-to-moores-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/how-computing-will-change-amid-challenges-to-moores-law\/","title":{"rendered":"How computing will change amid challenges to Moore\u2019s Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mark Papermaster<\/span> Contributor<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark Papermaster<\/a> is the chief technology officer and senior vice president of technology at AMD<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

We are in the midst of a true inflection point in computing\u00a0and the very way we interface with technology daily is changing.<\/p>\n

The rapid inclusion of embedded sensors and internet connectivity is turning most of the appliances we use into \u201csmart devices\u201d that can respond to our voice commands, while generating masses of data that is in turn analyzed in edge-of-network hub computers or the cloud.<\/p>\n

We are seeing virtual and augmented reality (VR \/ AR) now just starting to ramp adoption, and these technologies require significant compute and graphics processing to have a more real life experience. This is coupled with the\u00a0phenomenal advancement in machine learning applications that can be trained to sift through masses of data and deliver timely and context aware information, or take over mundane tasks. These new applications are challenging the industry to deliver much more computation capability at an improved affordability level.<\/p>\n

Supplying this demand for more computation is especially challenging \u2014 the Moore\u2019s Law pace of semiconductor advancements has slowed down.<\/p>\n

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Moore\u2019s Law is defined as the trend for the doubling of the number of transistors on a chip about every two years through ever smaller circuitry, producing greater performance and energy efficiency. It used to be that each generation of semiconductor technology could be relied upon to enable each next generation of a computer chip to be cheaper and faster.<\/p>\n

The laws of physics can\u2019t be fooled and we have reached a level where the miniaturization of transistors is now bumping against physical limits.\u00a0New semiconductor technology nodes will still bring significant miniaturization and lower power over the next decade, but the cost is increasing and the historical improvements in speed are not achieved.<\/p>\n

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The laws of physics can\u2019t be fooled and we have reached a level where the miniaturization of transistors is now bumping against physical limits.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

So we face a dichotomy as the historical improvements of Moore\u2019s Law slow, while new compute-intensive applications require exponentially more capability. This is driven by insatiable consumer demand for more data and more data processing, more real-time information, and faster services. Self-driving cars, drones, robotics all require massively more real-time information processing, inference and interpretation.<\/p>\n

For fail-safe operation or quick responsiveness, the computation can\u2019t all be done in the cloud. We are seeing the need for computation to move out the edge of networks and move closer to the user. Emerging smart applications and AR\/VR interfaces require high performance compute capability to be local \u2212 in your car, in your home or business, in a cell tower, yet still connected to the cloud.<\/p>\n

The pervasive inclusion of sensors in millions of \u201cInternet of Things\u201d devices, along with the digitization of most aspects of our work and personal lives, have created a data explosion. This massive data trove is driving a need for real-time processing and analytics of massive amounts of data. We want to use this data in new ways with hybrid VR \/ AR environments that can allow us to visually see overlays of information and mix rendered images with the immediate space we are in. Such demands fundamentally change how we interface with technology and require more teraflops of computing performance.<\/p>\n

This power enables virtual and augmented reality to render lifelike images and augmented overlays of contextually relevant information or graphics on top of a real-world view.<\/p>\n

The Royal College of Medicine has already recorded surgeries in VR, and you can quite easily imagine an AR overlay proving real-time information to help a surgeon perform with more accuracy. These are truly disruptive applications.<\/p>\n