Intel Enters AI Competition but Pushes Dedicated AI Hardware: What About the Cloud?

Urian B., Tech Times 04 September 2023, 10:09 pm

With many companies all trying to compete when it comes to AI, there's no surprise that Intel would also want to enter the competition. However, the company might be taking a different approach compared to what was previously expected.

Intel's Approach to AI Involves Heavy Investment in Hardware and Not Just Software

According to The Motley Fool, Intel is looking into the AI accelerator market with a unique approach as it has already introduced dedicated AI hardware designed within its very own chips for PCs. While most companies focus on the software of AI, it seems like Intel is focusing more on the hardware.

It was announced that the most advanced AI models still need AI accelerators that would be installed in cloud data centers. This is because of the huge requirements for memory and computation.

So far, the market for these particular AI accelerators is increasing with Intel already having multiple ways to enter this particular growth market. The company's very own Gaudi AI chips, as explained further in an article by HPC Wire, were able to gain strong interest due to how it fairs compared to the competition.

Gaudi AI Chips are Capable of Outperforming Nvidia Market-Leading GPUs

The company's Gaudi AI chips, when compared to Nvidia's market-leading GPUs, showed that Intel's version was able to outperform them. This comes as Intel is also selling more access to these AI abilities through its data center GPUs, giving users the ability to accelerate more types of work.

Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, shares how he doesn't believe that AI would stay stuck inside a data center as he notes that the company is investing heavily into AI as well as its long-term advantages.

Intel is now stretching beyond dedicated AI accelerators as it's trying to enter the realm of data center AI workloads. The company can accomplish this with the help of its CPU business.

Sapphire Rapids Chips Launched After Multiple Delays

Another notable advancement in this space is the introduction of the Intel Sapphire Rapids chips, which was officially launched despite delay after delay, according to Data Center Knowledge. These particular tech pieces can run data center CPU AI models efficiently.

So far the company estimates that AI drives a third of their Sapphire Rapids sales. Pat Gelsinger pointed out during the Deutsche Bank 2023 Technology Conference that there is a downside when relying on cloud technology when it comes to AI processing.

Intel CEO Says Users Won't be Using the Cloud for AI

The CEO pointed out that the laws of economics, physics, and privacy limit the reliance of people on the cloud for AI. However, he did say that it was possible but that people won't be doing so.

So far, Intel is getting ready to launch its Meteor Lake PC CPUs, which have an immense focus on AI. The main focuses of the new CPUs include being able to accelerate certain AI workloads, allowing users to simply run it on their PC.