Goodbye cloud, Hello phone: Adobe’s SlimLM brings AI to mobile devices

Adobe researchers have created a breakthrough AI system that processes documents directly on smartphones without internet connectivity, potentially transforming how businesses handle sensitive information and how consumers interact with their devices.

The system, called SlimLM, represents a major shift in artificial intelligence deployment — away from massive cloud computing centers and onto the phones in users’ pockets. In tests on Samsung’s latest Galaxy S24, SlimLM demonstrated it could analyze documents, generate summaries, and answer complex questions while running entirely on the device’s hardware.

“While large language models have attracted significant attention, the practical implementation and performance of small language models on real mobile devices remain understudied, despite their growing importance in consumer technology,” explained the research team, led by scientists from Adobe Research, Auburn University, and Georgia Tech.

How small language models are disrupting the cloud computing status quo

SlimLM enters the scene at a pivotal moment in the ...