Qualcomm’s claim to have launched the world’s first AI-based Image Signal Processor (ISP) must be seen in the context of wider trends in silicon design optimization, for algorithms, and inevitably, in the hype around the AI field. The claim is a bit of a stretch, because what Qualcomm has done is pull the compute units of the CPU, GPU and DSP (Digital Signal Processor) of its latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform out into its latest Spectra 380 ISP. It should really be seen then as part of the overall architectural evolution of Snapdragon, highlighting the importance and computational demand of image processing in smartphones today. It frees up cycles from the CPU, GPU and DSP (Digital Signal Processor) for…