4 important ways AI devices strengthen IT operations and security

As use cases for artificial intelligence continue to grow, AI is demanding more and more resources from the cloud. Conversely, hardware-level AI is becoming ever more efficient and capable – leading IT leaders to explore how they can leverage these new devices beyond the typical generative AI workload.

According to SHI’s Field CTO, Dave Gruver, and Sr. Director of End User Compute, Adam Reiser, AI-powered devices have the potential to be transformative for IT operations and security. AI-driven IT operations are gaining increasing prevalence in endpoint devices and, as Gruver and Reiser note, critical data processing can now happen at the edge without compromising security.

Vendors like CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, for example, are already leveraging advanced silicon to proactively address security threats without overburdening the CPU and GPU.

So what sort of impact can AI-powered devices have on your IT operations and security, and how?

Dave Gruver and Adam Reiser discuss some of the ways AI-powered devices will transform use cases for IT operations and security.

1. NPUs make AI Ops feasible

A significant differentiator for AI-powered endpoints is their ability to offload AI workloads tasks to new neural processing units (NPUs). This allows organizations to perform more AI and machine learning (ML) models at the edge, improving system performance and operations even when using AI-driven applications.

“We’ve all experienced the frustration of slow performance due to security activities consuming CPU resources,” Gruver says. “Offloading these tasks to NPUs makes them happen more efficiently and place less load on CPU or GPU resources, improving user experience and battery life while enhancing system security.”

Now, demanding computing tasks like language translation, predictive analytics, and computer vision are taken over by NPUs, improving security operations while maintaining optimal system performance.

2. Unlock genuinely proactive monitoring and maintenance

Organizations often collect and analyze data from various devices to monitor performance and health. AI-powered devices can enhance telemetry by providing more detailed and accurate data.

This enables your IT teams to gain deeper insights into the performance and health of your devices, proactively identifying and addressing potential issues before they escalate into major problems.

AI-powered devices can, for example, autonomously track hardware degradation, software conflicts, or unusual usage patterns. These cutting-edge predictive analytics helps IT teams resolve issues proactively and significantly minimize downtime.

“The signal-to-noise ratio in IT can be overwhelming,” Reiser says. “AI tools on the backend help sort through the data, highlighting the most critical issues that need attention. This proactive approach ensures better user experience, reduces downtime, and improves system reliability.”

3. Reduce routine upkeep with self-healing capabilities

IT teams can’t afford to struggle with system downtime and end-user frustration. AI PCs can help you achieve automated self-healing by leveraging AI algorithms and telemetry data to identify and fix problems as they arise.

If, for example, your endpoint detects a software issue or hardware malfunction, it can automatically initiate corrective measures to resolve the problem. AI-powered devices commonly work alongside enterprise management solutions that automate security patches, software provisioning, and policy enforcement tasks. These self-healing capabilities minimize the need for manual intervention, reduce downtime, and enhance overall system resilience.

With this routine tedium out of the way, your IT teams can focus less on device upkeep and more on high-priority strategic initiatives such as digital transformation, data strategy, and advanced cybersecurity.

4. Detect security threats in real time

AI and ML algorithms also enable AI PCs to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. These devices quickly analyze vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security threat.

In doing so, hardware-level AI constantly observes system activity for indications of malicious behavior, such as ransomware attempts, unusual user logins, or suspicious network traffic. By detecting threats locally instead of depending exclusively on cloud-based methods, response times improve and opportunities for zero-day attacks decrease.

And because these devices leverage their NPUs for anomaly detection, they relieve the load on the CPU and GPU – letting users continue their workflows quickly and responsively.

4.5. Keep data out of the wrong hands

AI-powered devices also facilitate sophisticated biometric authentication methods, including facial recognition, voice identification, and behavioral analysis, which enhance overall security. By handling this essential data locally rather than sending it to the cloud, hardware-level AI aligns with a privacy-by-design approach that mitigates the impact of potential breaches.

Strengthen your operations and security with AI-powered devices

As Dave Gruver and Adam Reiser highlight, advancements in AI-powered devices offer significant benefits, including:

1. Improved AI Ops.
2. Proactive monitoring and maintenance.
3. Self-healing capabilities.
4. Real-time threat detection.

With AI PCs, you can look forward to a more secure, efficient, and resilient IT infrastructure. Hardware-level AI ensures users can adopt more productive workflows while experiencing fewer disruptions and downtime.

To integrate these new devices seamlessly, it’s important to do your research, ensure any legacy apps function on contemporary hardware, and outline a plan to drive adoption throughout your organization. Luckily, SHI’s Next-Gen Device Labs can help you with all the above.

At our labs, you can:

• Evaluate hardware, workloads, and use cases.
• Benchmark against industry standards.
• Develop custom ROI projections.
• Validate security compliance.
• And more!

To get started or learn more about our expert-led Next-Gen Device Labs, contact us today.

As SHI’s Field CTO, Dave Gruver drives technical strategies and delivers effective solutions for our customers. Dave has over 30 years’ experience in enterprise IT and takes pride in helping organizations rapidly transform their technologies and processes to best support hybrid workforces.

With a proud 20+ year history at SHI, Adam Reiser is the Director of our End User Compute practice. His team includes pre-sales support and partnerships for all business units and top EUC partners worldwide.