Intel and Udacity have jointly launched a new programme aimed at IoT developers to help the community in deep learning and computer vision, which will accelerate the deployment of AI models at the network edge.
Called Intel Edge AI for IoT Developers Nanodegree Program, it introduces students to the Intel OpenVINO toolkit, enabling them to deploy pre-trained deep learning models through a high-level C++ or Python inference engine API integrated with application logic.
Based on convolutional neural networks, the OpenVINO toolkit allows graduates to maximise application performance across a range of heterogeneous Intel architectures to deliver fast, efficient deep learning workloads. Anyone working for a company can also take advantage of Intel DevCloud for the Edge to develop, test and run their workloads on a cluster of the latest Intel hardware and software.
Students can sign up for the course via Udacity. Those who successfully complete the three-moth programme will receive a Udacity graduation certificate.
Bridging the skills gap
As industries like manufacturing, retail, healthcare and others increasingly develop computer vision and AI at the edge solutions for accurate and real-time insights, making sure the workforce has relevant skills to address the demands of these industries has become imperative. While the global edge computing market is forecast to reach US$1.12 trillion by 2023, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 32.6%, the workforce is not equipped to address industry demands.
“Historically, students have learned how to build and deploy deep learning models for the cloud. With Udacity, we are training AI developers to go where the data is generated in the physical world: the edge,” said Jonathan Ballon, vice president and general manager for Internet of Things Group, Intel.
He added: “Optimising direct deployment of models on edge devices requires knowledge of unique constraints like power, network bandwidth and latency, varying compute architectures and more. The skills this course delivers will allow developers – and companies that hire them – to implement learnings on real-world applications across a variety of fields.”
Students enrolling in the new Intel and Udacity programme will have the opportunity to complete three real-world projects, each reviewed and approved by Udacity’s reviewer network. Students who successfully complete the programme will gain a practitioner-level skill set in delivering AI at the edge.
For those unable to commit to the full nanodegree programme. the Intel Edge AI Fundamentals with OpenVINOTM course includes a free subset of the content from the programme. This course does not include projects or technical mentor support, but it offers in-depth knowledge on how to develop AI solutions for the edge.
“This programme is part of Udacity’s commitment to provide training for 1 million developer worldwide,” said Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Udacity. “Our collaboration with Intel will open the doors for students to learn deployment of cutting-edge AI technologies at the edge and aid those with limited access to educational resources to grow in their fields.”
