Raspberry Pi’s new add-on board has 8GB of RAM for running gen AI models

Raspberry Pi is launching a caller add-on committee tin of moving generative AI models locally connected the Raspberry Pi 5. Announced connected Thursday, the $130 AI HAT+ 2 is an upgraded — and much costly — type of the module launched past year, now offering 8GB of RAM and a Hailo 10H spot pinch 40 TOPS of AI performance.

Once connected, the Raspberry Pi 5 will usage the AI HAT+ 2 to grip AI-related workloads while leaving the main board’s Arm CPU disposable to complete different tasks. Unlike the erstwhile AI HAT+, which is focused connected image-based AI processing, the AI HAT+ 2 comes pinch onboard RAM and tin tally mini gen AI models for illustration Llama 3.2 and DeepSeek-R1-Distill, on pinch a bid of Qwen models. You tin train and fine-tune AI models utilizing the instrumentality arsenic well.

A demo shared by Raspberry Pi shows really you tin usage the add-on committee to powerfulness an AI exemplary tin of generating a text-based explanation of a camera stream, arsenic good arsenic reply a mobility astir whether location are immoderate group successful the scene. Another shows really you can construe text from French to English pinch Qwen2.

However, tech YouTuber Jeff Geerling found that a standalone Raspberry Pi 5 pinch 8GB of RAM mostly outperformed the AI HAT+ 2 crossed the supported models. Geerling links the little capacity to powerfulness draw, arsenic the Pi 5 tin run astatine up to 10 watts, while the AI HAT+ 2 is constricted to 3W.

Though the AI HAT+ 2 whitethorn beryllium perfect for circumstantial usage cases, Geerling notes that the add-on board’s other 8GB of RAM is “not rather capable to springiness this HAT an advantage complete conscionable paying for the bigger 16GB Pi pinch much RAM, which will beryllium much elastic and tally models faster.” The AI HAT+ released past year, tin besides grip AI image processing for a cheaper $70 starting price.

Raspberry Pi says much and “larger” AI models “are being readied for updates, and should beryllium disposable to instal soon aft launch.”