As world leaders, policymakers, and technology giants gathered at the AI Summit in New Delhi, a clear message emerged from the semiconductor industry: the future of artificial intelligence will not sit in distant data centres, but at the "edge" - inside everyday devices. That was the sharp takeaway from an exclusive interview with Lars Reger, Global Chief Technology Officer of NXP Semiconductors, speaking to NDTV.
Reger, who addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during the summit, said the global focus is now on how to make AI useful, efficient and trustworthy for everyday life.
"We are moving towards a world that anticipates and automates," he said, pointing to AI-enabled refrigerators, autonomous vehicles, smart homes and medical devices as examples of how technology will blend seamlessly into daily routines.
Challenging the notion that AI must rely on massive data centres, Reger said the next decade will see a shift towards smaller, energy-efficient AI systems operating locally. "You don't need to send everything to the cloud," he explained, showcasing low-power AI accelerator chips that can run advanced language models using just a few watts of energy. "Most of the AI heavy lifting will be done by tiny, cheap and efficient chips at the edge."
However, Reger cautioned that trust and safety must come before speed or scale. With growing concerns around disinformation, cyber threats and AI misuse, he stressed that technology must never turn against its users. "If your fridge orders 500 litres of milk or your car behaves erratically, people will lose trust instantly," he said. According to him, the foundation of AI adoption lies in secure, deterministic and functionally safe silicon - an area where chipmakers play a crucial role.
Drawing parallels from nature, Reger highlighted how intelligence does not necessarily require massive computational power. "An ant is a robust transportation robot with just 100,000 neurons, while the human brain uses only 20 watts of energy," he said. "The real challenge is designing AI that is just big enough for the task, while remaining safe and energy-efficient."
On India's role, Reger was particularly optimistic.
He said India has long been recognised as a global hub for chip design and research, with NXP alone employing around 4,000 engineers in the country. But the next leap, he noted, lies in building a strong electronics system-building ecosystem. "India is now emerging not just as an R&D destination, but as a major end market," he said.
Reger argued that enabling startups and manufacturers to convert semiconductor designs into real-world products will be key to India's ambition of becoming a $500 billion electronics market.
"Manufacturing and packaging matter, but the real silver bullet is empowering India's innovation ecosystem to build complete systems - from drones and cars to medical devices and smart homes," he said.
Calling it a natural partnership between India and Netherlands, Reger said collaboration in safe, secure AI systems is already underway, driven by industry rather than politics. As the AI Summit showcased global ambition and local innovation, his message was clear: India has the scale, talent and opportunity to shape how AI is built, trusted and deployed in the real world.
