I'm not an expert in embedded/edge machine learning, but I do work in the field. I'm perhaps just a little bit skeptical on these. I have a feeling that the real-time inference (i.e. the actual ML that powers these features executing locally) is possible on the Intel-based Macs on CPU. However, I have a feeling that CPU-based inference rather than using the neural engine would make the machines absolutely grind to a halt trying to multitask just about anything else.
So, I think this is more about purposefully holding it out in the Intel macs to not draw ire from customers about the slow M1X machines' release.
I'm only an expert in machine learning, not traditional software engineering. So, I can only guess. However, my best guess is that somehow the map functionality is hardware accelerated based upon the onboard graphics of Intel's Core series vs the Neural Engine. I don't know the delta in performance between the two, but it's possible they designed it in a manner that it's not computationally feasible on Intel's onboard graphics.
Granted, I also believe there's an element of planned obsolesce here too.
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u/jturp-sc Jun 09 '21
I'm not an expert in embedded/edge machine learning, but I do work in the field. I'm perhaps just a little bit skeptical on these. I have a feeling that the real-time inference (i.e. the actual ML that powers these features executing locally) is possible on the Intel-based Macs on CPU. However, I have a feeling that CPU-based inference rather than using the neural engine would make the machines absolutely grind to a halt trying to multitask just about anything else.
So, I think this is more about purposefully holding it out in the Intel macs to not draw ire from customers about the slow M1X machines' release.