I seriously wonder if more competent mobile gaming picks up some of the slack considering the “retro emulator” machines are starting to run PC games via Game Native app. If i didn’t already have a steam deck i would seriously consider one of those devices.

I’m not convinced that we are going to see a renewed push for optimization. I think streaming will be aggressively pushed with low time limits in the forthcoming next gen to “make it affordable.” Xbox was ahead of the curve in that regard.

EU demands security theater. They are attempting to force backdoors into all of these APIs and systems (including locally run AI) for the nanny state. Very unfortunate.

There is on device AI in the Apple ecosystem. Many of the AI features that they announced will run locally (assuming hardware requirements are met). Things like Spatial Reframing will touch the cloud (via private compute) though. Other than that, Apple has an entire entry point for running AI close to the metal via MLX. It is kind of their entire angle at this point given their inability to create a competitive compelling AI product of their own. They appear to be taking on the role of “platform” once again.

Zen still works beautifully. The only downside I’ve come across is that there isn’t a mobile app, so the ability to hand off isn’t there.

Why? There would need to be some kind of pressure one way or another unless it is totally inconsequential. One pressure would be that organisms would be fitter with the ability to conceal and deceive. That would lend credence to what you’re suggesting; process and compress locally, filter locally, send only when advantageous.

But the opposite pressure might be social exclusion which makes individual members of a cohort weaker.

The real question is: what does an organism gain one way or the other? There’s only tradeoffs in evolution. Is the mental and physical tax of local processing worth it, or is the hive-mind style survival benefits more beneficial to reproduction and expansion?