Raspberry Pi fans who want to push beyond basic projects now have a serious new upgrade option. A newly released expansion board called the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 adds dedicated AI horsepower to the Raspberry Pi 5, opening the door to faster on-device machine learning, smarter automation, and more advanced computer vision—without bogging down the system.
Why an AI add-on matters for a single-board computer
Single-board computers are great for DIY builds, edge computing, and compact deployments, but many AI tasks run far better on specialized hardware. That’s where an NPU (neural processing unit) comes in. An NPU is designed to accelerate neural network workloads, making it easier to handle tasks like pattern recognition, sensor data classification, object detection in images, and real-time AI decision-making.
With the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2, the Raspberry Pi 5 can be transformed into a much more capable AI platform, especially for users who want to run AI models locally instead of relying on cloud processing.
Up to 40 TOPS of AI performance
The big headline feature is performance: the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 is rated for up to 40 TOPS (INT4). It’s built around the Hailo-10H NPU, a widely used AI accelerator geared toward efficient edge inference. The board also includes 8GB of onboard memory, which is important because it helps keep AI workloads off the Raspberry Pi’s main resources as much as possible. In practical terms, this should allow AI applications to run with minimal impact on the Raspberry Pi 5’s overall responsiveness for other tasks.
Easy installation, but limited compatibility
The board follows the familiar Raspberry Pi HAT approach, meaning it’s designed to mount cleanly onto the Raspberry Pi using screws and a standard add-on layout. It connects through the GPIO header and also uses a PCIe connection. That PCIe requirement is a key point: older Raspberry Pi models don’t have the necessary PCIe interface, so this add-on is intended for newer hardware—most notably the Raspberry Pi 5.
Native support on Raspberry Pi OS
Because it’s an official-style add-on built for the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, setup is designed to be straightforward. The AI HAT+ 2 is natively recognized by Raspberry Pi OS, allowing users to get started with supported AI applications without jumping through excessive configuration steps.
Pricing and availability
The Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 is already appearing at specialized retailers with a typical price around $130. For Raspberry Pi 5 owners who want much faster AI inference at the edge—especially for vision projects, smart cameras, robotics, and sensor-heavy builds—this board is positioned as a high-impact upgrade that adds new possibilities to a familiar platform.
