Cognitive Edge Computing: A Comprehensive Survey on Optimizing Large Models and AI Agents for Pervasive Deployment

Abstract

This article surveys Cognitive Edge Computing as a practical and methodical pathway for deploying reasoning-capable Large Language Models (LLMs) and autonomous AI agents on resource-constrained devices at the network edge. We present a unified, cognition-preserving framework spanning: (1) model optimization (quantization, sparsity, low-rank adaptation, distillation) aimed at retaining multi-step reasoning under tight memory/compute budgets; (2) system architecture (on-device inference, elastic offloading, cloud-edge collaboration) that trades off latency, energy, privacy, and capacity; and (3) adaptive intelligence (context compression, dynamic routing, federated personalization) that tailors computation to task difficulty and device constraints. We synthesize advances in efficient Transformer design, multimodal integration, hardware-aware compilation, privacy-preserving learning, and agentic tool use, and map them to edge-specific operating envelopes. We further outline a standardized evaluation protocol covering latency, throughput, energy per token, accuracy, robustness, privacy, and sustainability, with explicit measurement assumptions to enhance comparability. Remaining challenges include modality-aware reasoning benchmarks, transparent and reproducible energy reporting, edge-oriented safety/alignment evaluation, and multi-agent testbeds. We conclude with practitioner guidelines for cross-layer co-design of algorithms, runtime, and hardware to deliver reliable, efficient, and privacy-preserving cognitive capabilities on edge devices.