US chip titan Intel on Tuesday struck a defiant tone in the face of strong challenges from rivals Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm, unveiling technologies it said would lead the artificial intelligence revolution.
For decades, Intel has dominated the market for the chips
that run everything from laptops to data centres. But in recent years, its
competitors, especially Nvidia, have soared ahead on specialised AI processors.
During a keynote speech at Taiwan's Computex expo, CEO Pat
Gelsinger introduced Intel's latest Xeon 6 processors for servers, and shared
more details about its next-gen Lunar Lake chips for AI PCs.
"AI is driving one of the most consequential eras of
innovation the industry has ever seen," Gelsinger said.
"The magic of silicon is once again enabling
exponential advancements in computing that will push the boundaries of human
potential and power the global economy for years to come."
Gelsinger said Intel's latest equipment provides the best
available mix of performance, energy efficiency and affordability.
Intel's Gaudi systems -- used for advanced AI work such as
training models -- come at a third of the cost of what competitors offer, he
claimed.
Gelsinger's presentation followed earlier keynote speeches
by Nvidia boss Jensen Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su and Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon --
and they were replete with claims and counterclaims about which firm's products
were best for AI.
Su and Amon gave detailed presentations on the chips their
companies have developed for AI-enhanced personal computers.
Microsoft this month unveiled its Copilot+ AI PCs, which
will have artificial intelligence features built into its Windows operating
system.
Along with Microsoft, these will be offered by some of the
world's biggest manufacturers, including Dell, HP, Samsung and Lenovo, and will
have AI features on the device and not just through the internet.
Gelsinger in particular rejected Qualcomm's claim that its
AI PC chips were better than Intel's.
"I just want to put that to bed right now," he
said. "Ain't true!"
AI computers are expected to be 80 percent of the PC market
by 2028, Intel said, citing the Boston Consulting Group.
'AI smart island'
Computex is the top annual tech showcase in Taiwan, whose
semiconductor industry is crucial to the production of everything from iPhones
to the servers that run ChatGPT.
With the world's leading tech firms betting big on AI,
Taiwanese manufacturers have emerged as central players in those plans.
The island produces the bulk of the world's most advanced
semiconductors, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications
and research.
Taiwan's government wants to use these capabilities to
accelerate the widespread use of AI.
"We have a lot to do to build Taiwan into an AI smart
island," President Lai Ching-te, who took office last month, said during a
visit to Computex on Tuesday.
However, Taiwan's central position in the supply chain for
semiconductors -- the lifeblood of the modern economy -- has become a source of
concern in capitals and boardrooms around the world.
Taiwan is self-ruled, but China claims the island as its
territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it
under its control.
In recent years, the relationship between Beijing and Taipei
has deteriorated and the Chinese military has staged multiple large-scale
exercises around the island.