Intel CEO Targets Nvidia in Battle for AI Chip Supremacy
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced new technologies at the Computex conference in an effort to reclaim market share from Nvidia. Intel unveiled its Xeon 6 data centre processors, which have more efficient cores and require less space for tasks. Gelsinger dismissed suggestions that classical processors are becoming obsolete in the AI era, highlighting Intel's role in AI growth.
Gelsinger demonstrated Intel's latest Xeon 6 data centre processors, which have more efficient cores and can dramatically lower work space requirements when compared to earlier generations of gear. In a direct challenge to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Gelsinger highlighted that Intel remains at the forefront of AI breakthroughs, refuting allegations that traditional CPUs are losing ground in the age of artificial intelligence.
Gelsinger compared the significance of AI to the internet revolution 25 years ago, saying, "We see this as the fuel that's driving the semiconductor industry to reach $1 trillion by the end of the decade." He is confident that Intel, as the largest provider of PC chips, will play an important role in the proliferation of AI. While Intel's stock remained essentially flat following the news, Gelsinger's optimism about the company's future prospects is clear.
Intel also announced its Gaudi systems, which combine numerous CPUs into kits tailored exclusively for generative AI training. These kits, which include the Intel Gaudi 2 and Gaudi 3 accelerators, will be offered from partners like Dell Technologies Inc. and Inventec Corp. The Gaudi 3 cluster, which consists of 8,192 accelerators, is expected to provide up to 40% faster AI model training time than an equal Nvidia H100 GPU cluster. Furthermore, Intel says that Gaudi 3 is twice as fast as Nvidia's H100 when performing AI inference workloads.
Analysts believe that Nvidia's advantage stems not only from individual accelerator performance, but also from its unified ecosystem and patented technology, such as NVLink, which facilitates smooth integration of computer clusters. Leonard Lee, an analyst at neXt Curve, emphasises the significance of developing a gigantic logical accelerator on a large scale.
Intel, headquartered in Santa Clara, has been a major player in the computer industry for decades. However, in recent years, the corporation has experienced sales declines and severe competition from rivals. Gelsinger, who came to Intel three years ago to manage its recovery, has made significant investments to revive the company's offerings while also strengthening its chip design and production skills.
While Intel's sales have stabilised, analysts are wary about a quick recovery, predicting a $20 billion revenue drop by 2024 compared to 2021. In contrast, Nvidia's sales are predicted to treble, while AMD's are expected to climb by more than 10%, as both businesses capitalise on the growing demand for AI computer technology.
Gelsinger stressed the value of working with partners, noting, "This is the most consequential time of our careers together. We were made for this moment." Intel's future success will be determined by its ability to utilise alliances and develop novel solutions that can compete with Nvidia's dominant position in the data centre AI processing industry.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger unveiled new products at the Computex show to regain market share from Nvidia.
Intel showcased its Xeon 6 data center processors with more efficient cores, reducing space requirements for tasks.
Gelsinger refuted claims that traditional processors are losing relevance in the AI era, emphasising Intel's role in AI advancement.
Source: YAHOO