Gartner thinks generative AI is right for only five percent of workloads

AI techniques that require specialist hardware are "doomed," according to analyst firm Gartner's chief of research for AI Erick Brethenoux – who included GPUs in his definition of endangered kit.

Speaking to The Register at Gartner's Symposium in Australia today, Brethenoux said in the 45 years he's spent observing AI, numerous hardware vendors have offered offer specialist kit for AI workloads. All failed once vanilla machines could do the job – as they always eventually can.

The need for specialist hardware, he observed, is a sign of the "brute force" phase of AI, in which programming techniques are yet to be refined and powerful hardware is needed. "If you cannot find the elegant way of programming … it [the AI application] dies," he added.

He suggested generative AI will not be immune to this trend.

The good news is, he believes organizations can benefit from AI without generative AI.

"Generative ...