Artificial Intelligence (AI) has crossed the threshold from experimentation to execution. No longer confined to the cloud or core data centers, it is now operating in real-time—on factory floors, in autonomous vehicles, and within retail environments. The engine behind this evolution is AI inference at the edge.
AI inference is the decision-making phase—the moment when a trained model begins performing in the real world. It’s the software that identifies a safety threat on a highway, translates a conversation in an instant, or detects a quality defect on a production line. Increasingly, these decisions are happening right where the data is created.
Inference at the edge is about more than geography. It’s a reorientation of architectural intent. It reduces latency, conserves bandwidth, enhances autonomy, and often supports regulatory compliance by keeping sensitive data local.
USE CASES DRIVING URGENCY
This shift is already transforming industries. In healthcare, AI-enabled MRI and CT machines are using embedded edge processing to shorten diagnosis times from hours to minutes, thereby directly impacting patient outcomes. Autonomous vehicles, from robotaxis to long-haul trucks, rely on on-vehicle AI systems to make decisions in milliseconds—decisions that can’t wait for a cloud round-trip.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amber Caramella is the Chief Revenue Officer at Netrality Data Centers. With more than 20 years of sales and leadership experience in the digital infrastructure industry, Amber Caramella is responsible for Netrality’s revenue generation strategy and execution, where she oversees sales, marketing, interconnection, network solutions, strategic alliances, and channel partnerships. Prior to joining Netrality, she served as SVP of Sales at Zayo, where she built the company’s global cloud, software, infrastructure, and data center vertical segment.
Caramella is on Bluebird Network’s Board of Directors, Cato Digital’s Board of Directors, and Infrastructure Masons’ Advisory Council. She also serves as iM Women’s Global Executive Sponsor and is part of the Inclusion Committee, working to raise awareness and education for underrepresented groups. Amber’s goal is to increase the visibility and career advancement of women by transforming industry culture and ideology, leading to the development of a diverse pipeline for future industry talent.
