Intel Reportedly Working on a New 'Low-Power' AI Chip
According to CRN, Intel is working on an unannounced AI chip that requires less space. This strong GPU is potentially fitting into the company's AI products roadmap but it's likely developed for server-based inference workloads; it will probably launch sometime next year.
This news is also implying increased investments in Intel's AI hardware pipeline. Specifically, the new low-power GPU is expected to focus on AI inference, which the report claims involves running pre-trained AI models for prediction or other content generation.
Speculation on the Underlying Technology
Even if the report did not say much into detail about the device, speculations appear to lean towards an alleged GPU-inclined toward the Intel's "next" architectures. One of the probable product developments is by-products of the "Battlemage" GPU family. Previously, details came out concerning a silicon called "BMG-G31," which could provide support of up to 24 GB VRAM, making it fit to qualify as a candidate for Edge AI and inference purposes.
However, with the announcement that the chip is coming next year, by that time, this technology could very well not be relevant anymore as it might have already been superseded by a newer architecture. It is possible that the final chip will fall under a different family altogether.
Strategic Context and Market Position
At the moment, however, Intel's Gaudi lineup does not seem to enjoy much success in the market due to heavyweight competition. The company would also be making a strategic move in launching a dedicated low-power inference GPU. Similar to what Qualcomm's Cloud AI 100 inference cards do, such a configured GPU is likely to be used efficiently in several systems. By targeting this segment, Intel has the possibility of establishing a significant niche in the rapidly growing AI hardware market.
