IBM Introduces ‘Lightweight Engine’ for WatsonX.ai

IBM, a leading global provider of hybrid cloud and AI has launched a new ‘lightweight engine’ for its WatsonX.ai service, targeting enterprises. The new service engine has received wide acclaim for its ability to help small and medium enterprises adopt fintech or generative AI.

The new additions are also projected to be highly welcomed by banking services as the demand for generative AI in the finance community escalates. 

JP Morgan Chase’s purchase of enterprise-level ChatGPT access for its 60,000 employees is a testament to the heightened need for gen AI in the financial sector.

IBM Launches a Less Resource-Intensive Engine for Its WatsonX Service

Many tech companies have already rolled out enterprise AI solutions. However, most of these solutions are entirely cloud-based, hinting at potential data security gaps. 

IBM’s WatsonX.ai works with both cloud-based and on-premises solutions. The on-premise support means a data breach could only happen if the attacker manages to breach the physical premises and gain access to equipment, providing a viable alternative for financial institutions that find cloud security unreliable.

With the incorporation of the Lightweight Engine, users will have a cost-effective option for safely deploying their generative AI solutions. 

Savio Rodrigues, IBM’s VP of Ecosystem Engineering & Developer Advocacy, commented on the company’s premise level support, “As businesses add on-premises, they want the lightest weight platform for the enterprise to deploy and run their generative AI use cases, so they are not wasting CPUs or GPUs. This is where the watsonx.ai lightweight engine comes in, enabling ISVs and developers to scale enterprise GenAI solutions while optimizing costs.” 

The flexibility of a cloud-based and on-premises capable solution could determine whether you use a third-party solution or design and implement models internally. 

Comparing the Features of the WatsonX

The WatsonX new lightweight engine has a Red Hat® OpenShift® AI platform layer that supports hosting and inferencing AI models. It also incorporates the Cloud Pak for Data platform, which provides capabilities such as a command-line installer, auditing, licensing, and logging. 

Moreover, it provides Generative AI APIs for inferencing foundation models and vectorizing text programmatically and AI guardrails for filtering personally identifiable information and hate, abuse, and profanity.

However, the full WatsonX.ai service installation includes more extra components than the lightweight engine, hence the cost difference. The full service includes Generative AI tools such as the Prompt Lab and Tuning Studio and machine learning services for tuning and deploying. It also promises integration with IBM Watsonx governance to help direct, manage, and monitor your organization’s artificial intelligence (AI) activities.