<-Foreword       Go to ToC       Scope ->

(Informative)

Technical Specification: Artificial Intelligence Framework (MPAI-AIF) V2.2 – in the following also called MPAI-AIF V2.2 or simply MPAI-AIF – provides a standard environment where AI Workflows (AIW) composed of AI Modules are initialised, dynamically configured, executed and controlled. AIWs can be standardised by MPAI, i.e., they perform standardised functions, expose standard interfaces, and execute explicit computing workflows, or can be proprietary, provided they expose the interfaces specified by MPAI-AIF. Developers can compete in providing AIF components – AIWs and AIMs – that have standard functions and interfaces that may have improved performance compared to other implementations. AIMs can execute data processing or Artificial Intelligence algorithms and can be implemented in hardware, software, or in a hybrid hardware/software configuration.

The AI Framework specified by MPAI-AIF offers the following basic functionalities:

  • Independence: An AIF does not depend on the Operating System.
  • Modularity: The architecture is component-based with specified interfaces.
  • Encapsulation: Component interfaces are abstracted from the development environment.
  • Access: An AIF can access validated Components in the MPAI Store.
  • Implementation: Component can be implemented as:
    • Software only, from MCUs to HPC.
    • Hardware only.
    • Hybrid hardware-software.
  • Execution: an AIF can be executed in local and distributed Zero-Trust architectures.
  • Interaction: an AIF can interact with other Implementations operating in proximity.
  • Machine Learning functionalities are supported.

Since MPAI-AIF V2.0, the Specification offers APIs to access the following Trusted Services:

  • A selected range of cyphering algorithms.
  • A basic attestation function.
  • Secure storage as RAM, internal/external flash, or internal/external/remote disk.
  • Certificate-based secure communication.
  • The AIF can execute only one AIW containing only one AIM with following features:
    • One AIM that may be a Composite AIM.
    • The AIMs of the Composite AIM cannot access the Security API.
  • ´The AIF Trusted Services may rely on hardware and OS security features already existing in the hardware and software of the AIF environment’.

Various actors – developers, integrators, and end users – benefit from the creation-com­pos­ition-execution-update of AIM-based work­flows interconnecting multi-vendor AIMs trained to specific tasks, operating in the standard AI framework and exchanging data in standard formats:

  • Technology providers can offer standard-conforming AI technologies to an open market
  • Application developers can find the technologies they need on the market.
  • Innovation is fueled by demand for novel/ more performing AI components
  • Consumers have a wider choice of better AI applications from a competitive market
  • Society can lift the veil of opacity from large, monolithic AI-based applications.

AIW and its AIMs may have 3 interoperability levels:

  1. Level 1 – Proprietary and conforming to the MPAI-AIF Standard.
  2. Level 2 – Specified by an MPAI Application Standard.
  3. Level 3 – Specified by an MPAI Application Standard and certified by a Performance Assessor.

MPAI offers Users access to the promised benefits of AI with a guarantee of increased transparency, trust and reliability as the Interoperability Level of an Implementation moves from 1 to 3.

The chapters and the annexes of this Technical Specification are Normative unless they are labelled as Informative. Terms beginning with a capital letter are defined in Table 1 if specific of this MPAI-AIF Technical Specification. All MPAI-defined Terms are accessible online.

<-Foreword       Go to ToC       Scope ->