Google is making private AI practical with homomorphic encryption

Google open-sourced HEIR, a compiler that converts pre-trained AI models to operate on encrypted data using homomorphic encryption, enabling private inference without exposing user data. HEIR partners with hardware accelerator companies like Belfort and Niobium to reduce the computational overhead, and has been adopted by universities for research, resulting in four peer-reviewed publications. This shifts the privacy trade-off from capability vs. security to a question of cost, making cryptographically-secure AI practical for regulated sectors like healthcare and finance.

Jeremy Kun