“On-device AI saves battery” and “cloud AI is more efficient” can both sound plausible. Neither is a measurement. The placement decision crosses at least four different budgets: user wait + network transfer + provider spend + device energy Do not collapse them into one vague “cost” number.
Source: [Dev.to](https://dev.to/roronoa_/compare-cloud-and-on-device-ai-costs-without-inventing-energy-numbers-gdb)