CIO

Intel unveils first artificial intelligence chip Springhill

Facebook, it said, already has started using the product.
  • Reuters (CIO New Zealand)
  • 21 August, 2019 08:08
Computer chip maker Intel's logo is shown on a gaming computer display during the opening day of E3, the annual video games expo revealing the latest in gaming software and hardware in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 11, 2019.

Computer chip maker Intel's logo is shown on a gaming computer display during the opening day of E3, the annual video games expo revealing the latest in gaming software and hardware in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 11, 2019.

Intel has unveiled its latest processor that will be its first using artificial intelligence (AI) and is designed for large computing centres.

The chip, developed at its development facility in Haifa, Israel, is known as Nervana NNP-I or Springhill and is based on a 10 nanometer Ice Lake processor that will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy, Intel said.

Facebook, it said, already has started using the product.

Intel said its first AI product comes after it had invested in Israeli AI startups, including Habana Labs and NeuroBlade.

"In order to reach a future situation of 'AI everywhere', we have to deal with huge amounts of data generated and make sure organisations are equipped with what they need to make effective use of the data and process them where they are collected," said Naveen Rao, general manager of Intel's artificial intelligence products group.

"These computers need acceleration for complex AI applications."

It said the new hardware chip will help Intel Xeon processors in large companies as the need for complicated computations in the AI field increases.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Tova Cohen)