Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters.
Produced by Reuters Plus for
The expansion of AI’s mind has not, however, been parallelled by growth in its “body,” which must continue to evolve to enable the next generation of AI, argues Taro Ikushima, Corporate Officer & General Manager, Corporate Strategy Headquarters. But he believes TDK’s technology can help address that gap.
“The innovation or evolution of AI is not only coming from cyberspace, but also physical space,” he said.
Yet there are challenges before AI-equipped robots reach the heights that humankind anticipates, Ikushima pointed out when he addressed the Reuters NEXT forum in Singapore on July 9.
“To have robots that can work autonomously and think for themselves, that will be very exciting,” he said. “But, of course, there are many issues to overcome before we can realize that. If TDK can contribute to the solutions through our technology and help to make robots that are more reliable and safer, then we would be very happy.”
In Ikushima's view, the key will be to connect and cooperate with partners to find those solutions.
The figures that demonstrate the pace of growth in the sector are significant, he pointed out. AI model compute increased 10 million-fold between 2012 and 2022, while it is estimated that global data generation will reach 600 zettabytes by 2030, with one zettabyte equivalent to 1 trillion gigabytes and 10 times the level of 2020.
As AI moves into the physical world, challenges surrounding energy consumption, connectivity, sensors, safety and reliability are emerging as key constraints on the next generation of intelligent systems.
In a little over a decade, artificial intelligence has developed rapidly as a 'brain,' delivering significant gains in learning, reasoning and problem-solving power.
Body of AI
Intelligence alone will not be enough for AI to operate in the real world, Ikushima argued. While much of the focus today is on AI as a "brain", the next challenge is enabling AI systems to function reliably in the physical world. Better batteries, more sensitive sensors and higher-quality components will be needed before autonomous robots can be widely deployed, he said.
“You don't like the situation that your robot stops after 30 minutes because of battery outage, or your robot misunderstands the situation around you.”
One of the technologies helping to support that future is photonics. Ikushima said the industry is moving toward optical connectivity closer to the chip level extending beyond traditional server-to-server and rack-to-rack connections within data centers.
This shift could reduce energy consumption while increasing data-transmission capacity. TDK said it is developing photonics devices to support that transition.
Beyond ‘thinking’
TDK is focusing on technologies that could help give AI systems greater awareness of the physical world through advanced sensing capabilities. As part of that effort, the company established TDK SensEI in July 2024. The company is focused on predictive maintenance with cutting-edge sensors and software.
The technology has already been deployed in industrial environments, detecting tiny changes with ultra-sensitive sensors and analyzing data in real time, permitting swift responses.
In a factory setting, for example, SensEI technology can detect minute anomalous vibrations in motors, predicting equipment failures in advance. Problems caused by high temperatures, sound, pressure and vibration can be identified and mitigated automatically and in real time.
Smart glasses serve as a good example of the rapid advances that TDK has made. The smart glasses that the company is developing have potential in the realms of communication, instant translation, navigation, spatial computing and elsewhere – simply, to make everyone’s life more convenient.
Through its acquisition of SoftEye, TDK has gained technology capable of tracking eye movement and identifying what a user is looking at. Combined with AI, the technology could create a more natural user interface, reducing the need for users to input commands by voice or touch.
TDK understands that smart glasses require laser optical engines. Using HDD-derived nano-precision alignment, this new concept features proprietary retinal projection technology that displays data directly onto the user's retina in ultra-high 4K resolution. The device is lightweight, power-efficient, and designed for scalable manufacturing.
Building physical AI
TDK's ambition goes beyond supplying individual components. As AI moves from the digital realm into the physical world, Ikushima said the company is increasingly focused on providing solutions by combining its expertise in batteries, sensors, electronic components and photonics.
Ikushima said the first AI-equipped robots are likely to be deployed in controlled environments such as factories and warehouses, where the technology can be tested and refined before wider adoption.
"If AGI is available, then the robot will be working autonomously and think by itself," he said.
The drawbacks, however, are numerous. A robot worker can stop after 30 minutes when its battery runs out. It can misunderstand directions. It can be impacted by noise from other devices, causing it to behave erratically. These challenges – and others – need to be addressed, Ikushima said.
From cyberspace to physical space
Scaling for the next generation of physical intelligence
Robots need better sensors, more long-life batteries, more reliable part supply and higher-quality components — that's what we can provide as a solution.
10 million x growth
in AI model compute between 2012 and 2022
600 zettabytes
of global data expected to be generated by 2030
1 zettabyte = 1 trillion gigabytes
10x growth
in global data generation between 2020 and 2030
Source: https://openai.com/index/ai-and-compute/
For Ikushima, the next stage of AI will be shaped not only by advances in intelligence, but by the technologies that allow AI to operate safely, efficiently and reliably in the real world. As he told the Reuters NEXT audience: "Most people talk about AI as a brain. But actually, when AGI is available in the market, it will be coming to the physical space."
Energy efficiency will be critical if AI is to scale into the physical world, Ikushima said. Growing demand for AI computing is placing increasing pressure on data centres, making power consumption and cooling requirements key industry challenges. Technologies such as advanced thermal management and photonics will play an important role in reducing energy use while supporting greater computing performance.
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
TDK enables the physical layer of AI and shapes the Body of AI through its technologies and solutions, driving transformation from within.
In just over ten years, AI's "brain" has grown extraordinarily
powerful - but its "body" lags behind. TDK aims to close the gap, using photonic-electronic convergence, Edge AI and nano-precise
smart-glass optics to build the hardware that will define technology's next decade.
Body of AI: Scaling for the next generation of physical intelligence
ARTICLE
AI is rapidly moving beyond software into the physical world, powering robots, devices, and systems that interact with their real-world environment. In this fireside chat, Taro Ikushima, Corporate Officer and General Manager of TDK's Corporate Strategy Headquarters, joins Josh London, Head of Reuters Professional, to explore the hardware backbone of this new era. From physical AI and emerging technologies to the power constraints ahead, what will shape the future — and who will capture the value?
Body of AI: Scaling for the next generation of physical intelligence
VIDEO
REUTERS NEXT ASIA
09 . 07 . 26
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INFOGRAPHIC
The AI enabler
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The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters.
Produced by Reuters Plus for
The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters.
Produced by Reuters Plus for
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
TDK enables the physical layer of AI and shapes the Body of AI through its technologies and solutions, driving transformation from within.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Sit Amet Consectur
Elit Adipiscing.
ARTICLE
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Sit Amet Consectur
Elit Adipiscing.
VIDEO
REUTERS NEXT ASIA
VIDEO
09 . 07 . 26
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INFOGRAPHIC
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The AI enabler
ARTICLE
Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.
Find out more about how TDK can help your business
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