Hajra Naz
As Intel works to reinvent itself, CEO Lip-Bu Tan says the company is preparing to enter a market long dominated by one of its biggest rivals.
Speaking Tuesday at the Cisco AI Summit, Tan said Intel will begin producing GPUs. The chips have grown more important as Nvidia dominates gaming and AI.
GPUs differ from Intel’s traditional CPUs. They handle highly parallel workloads. That makes them well-suited for training AI models.
According to Reuters, the effort will be led by Kevork Kechichian. He is Intel’s executive vice president and head of its data center group. Kechichian joined Intel in September. His hire was part of a broader push for engineering-focused leadership.
Intel has also brought in Eric Demers. Demers joined in January. He previously spent more than 13 years at Qualcomm. Most recently, he served as a senior vice president of engineering.
The project is still in its early stages. Tan said Intel will shape its GPU strategy around customer demand. Specific products and timelines have not yet been finalized.
Read More: Intel Reveals New Processor Featuring Advanced 18A Semiconductor Technology
While Nvidia did not invent the GPU, the chip category has been central to its rise. The company’s AI-focused GPUs are widely regarded as the industry standard, giving Nvidia a commanding lead in the market.
Intel’s move is notable given Tan’s earlier messaging. When he took over as CEO last March, Tan said the company would focus on consolidation and its core businesses. GPUs are still semiconductors, but entering the GPU market represents a meaningful expansion—and a direct challenge to one of the most powerful players in modern computing.
