AI Pc wars heat up: Intel, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm all vie for dominance

AFP | Taipei, Taiwan

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

US chip titan Intel yesterday 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.