In COMPUTEX 2025, DFI held a seminar titled Pushing Edge AI Forward: Future-ready Industrial Edge AI Computing. Delivered by Jarry Chang, Head of Marketing and Strategic Sourcing Center in DFI; the seminar also discussed DFI’s role in the Edge AI industry.
According to Grand View Research, the Cloud AI market is expected to be valued at USD 121.74 billion in 2025 with a CAGR of 39.7% from 2025 to 2030. By contrast, the Edge AI market is estimated to reach USD 24.90 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 21.7% from 2025 to 2030. With users ranging from personal to organizational users, Cloud AI provides significant convenience. However, as concerns around latency, cybersecurity, total cost of ownership (TCO), and sustainability gain increasing attention, more commercial applications are turning to Edge AI – where essential functions are compressed and condensed then executed On-Premises – as a complementary or alternative solution to Cloud AI.
AI migration to the Edge to address the concerns from Cloud AI happens in various industries and applications. For example, the most popular AI application today –generative AI (GenAI) typically runs on the cloud, but users need it to be lightweight and provide instant responses. The rapid rise of DeepSeek proves that AI does not always need to run on the cloud. With a focused operational scope, powerful AI can run smoothly at the Edge or On-Premises.
By processing data near its source, Edge AI addresses four key challenges of Cloud AI: latency, privacy & security, cost, and sustainability. Processing data locally on the Edge significantly reduces the cost and bandwidth associated with data transmission to the cloud. This approach also enhances privacy and security—critical for applications involving sensitive or confidential information, such as in healthcare, finance, or defense. Furthermore, Edge AI models are typically optimized for specific tasks and environments. This application-specific focus not only minimizes latency and enables real-time decision-making but also improves energy efficiency. By reducing demands on computing power, electricity, and cooling, Edge AI contributes to more sustainable and scalable AI deployments.
The rapid growth of Edge AI is supported by various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and more; which aim to improve their operational efficiency and reduce data processing latency. As AI is now present in nearly every device, the boundaries between device types/ categories are continuously blurred and will grow the value of smart applications, promoting the value of the IPC market. For example, the smart factory market is expected to be valued at USD 170.43 billion in 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.52% through 2034; while the smart healthcare market was valued at USD 259.14 billion in 2023, with a CAGR of 17.4% from 2024 to 2033.
Seeing this growth and change, DFI sees a few key trends in the AI industry. One of the key trends is that as data volumes continue to increase, transmitting all data to the cloud is becoming increasingly challenging in practice This will in effect turn Edge AI into a necessity. In addition, more and more devices are becoming AI capable which will simplify Edge AI deployment. To leverage this trend, DFI has been focusing on 6 major categories: factory automation, gaming, defense/ marine, smart medical, smart transportation, and energy; providing various products and systems for customers from around the world alongside global partners.
Following customers' Design for Manufacturing (DFM) requirements, DFI provides a versatile & reliable product portfolio and delivers a comprehensive standard product line along with highly flexible customization options. With over 40 years of experience, DFI is a world-leading provider of Edge AI computing systems and understands the customers' focus on their bill-of-materials (BOM) costs. Over 70% of its ODM/OEM projects are derived from and enhanced beyond standard offerings, enabling tailored products built on proven platforms—including AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, NXP, and Qualcomm—DFI also offers scalable AI integration options via M.2, MXM/PEG GPUs, NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX, and various discrete GPUs. This flexibility allows DFI’s embedded portfolio to power diverse AI applications across industries and environments.
DFI’s strong commitment to supply chain partnerships ensures early access to the latest AI technologies and industry innovations. Designed for long-term deployment, DFI’s embedded products offer over 15 years of support and maintain exceptional reliability with a failure rate of less than 1,000 DPPM.
In addition to the strong partnerships with leading chipmakers, DFI is actively expanding strategic collaborations to drive AI adoption in smart city development. At COMPUTEX 2025, DFI unveiled the IAE smart parking solution—integrating Wei Long Electronics’ intelligent parking system, Data Image’s rugged outdoor HMIs, and DFI’s ultra-compact fanless industrial Systems. DFI also partnered with U.S.-based Network Optix to demonstrate advanced AI-powered image recognition for urban surveillance and traffic analysis. Furthermore, DFI signed an MOU with South Korea’s leading AI chip company, DEEPX, to accelerate the integration of AI chips with DFI’s embedded systems—delivering greater intelligence and efficiency across a wide range of smart city applications.
DFI’s leadership in embedded computing is also present in quick service restaurants (QSRs) and retail applications. To meet the growing demand for Edge AI, DFI has developed a heterogeneous computing system that combines an Intel processor and the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX—delivering high-performance, energy-efficient control and computing for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). DFI’s Edge AI products enhance a wide range of smart retail applications—including point-of-sale (POS) systems, digital signage, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) such as delivery robots. Our industrial-grade portfolio enables real-time audience analysis, dynamic content delivery, and intelligent interaction, empowering businesses to create more engaging customer experiences and achieve greater operational efficiency.
Connect with DFI today and accelerate your Edge AI journey.