Opinion

Intel Needs an Active, Competent Board, not a ‘Savior’ CEO

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Michele Johnston Holthaus can still get confirmed as Intel Corp.’s next CEO, vaulting to the top of the management team from her current title of interim co-CEO. But Holthaus would not be the perfect candidate – one presumably with a degree and background in engineering like the last CEO Patrick Gelsinger. She wouldn’t be at a loss in the position, either. Holthaus has the potentials to become a great leader at Intel.

Still, the substantive CEO question isn’t the priority for Intel now. What the public and the chipmaker’s various audiences want to have answers to are more pressing questions about its future. Questions such as: will Intel spin off its foundry unit or retain it as an inhouse operation; will it go ahead and spend billions of dollars on the new fabs promised by Gelsinger or will it seek to conserve funds; what’s the vision for Intel and; what’s the latest on its turnaround plan?

AI Past, Present, and Future (Part 3)

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By Clive (Max) Maxfield

What’s at stake:

AI is revolutionizing everything from creative endeavors to caregiving, relationships, labor markets, and even warfare. As we look toward an AI-driven future, the stakes lie in balancing its immense potential to enhance our lives with the ethical, societal, and existential risks it poses.

The 1984 American science fiction action film, The Terminator, featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cybernetic assassin from the future. The underlying plot is that an artificially intelligent system called Skynet becomes self-aware, determines that humans are a threat to its existence, and decides to eradicate humanity from the face of the Earth. Hold that thought…

In Part 1 of this mini-series on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), we predominantly pondered the days of AI in the past. In Part 2, we turned our attention to AI in the present. Now it’s time to cogitate and ruminate on the potential (both good and ill) for AI in the future.

Asking the Right Questions & ‘Reading’ People

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In “Backbone,” author David Schneer takes an unconventional path to make the case for the value of qualitative research.

What's The Long-Term Outlook for Automotive Chip Industry?

What’s the Long-Term Outlook for Auto Chip Industry?

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In the face of the seeming despondent industry dynamic, here’s why I contend there are good reasons to cheer the long-term outlook for the industry

AI Past, Present, and Future (Part 2)

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By Clive (Max) Maxfield

What’s at stake:

As artificial intelligence advances at a breakneck pace, we are standing at a crossroad where the line between science fiction and reality blurs. How will we navigate the ethical, economic, and personal impacts of artificial intelligence innovations? To understand where we’re heading, we first need to explore where we’ve come from and consider the present-day breakthroughs that are defining the world of our future.

In Part 1 of this mini-series on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), we predominantly pondered the days of AI Past. We commenced in the 1700s by considering some of the automata — self-operating machines or control mechanisms designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations or respond to predetermined instructions — that were created at that time.

A Lone Voice in Support of America’s Strict AI Rules

Where Are We Headed with China?

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By Bolaji Ojo

Death by a thousand cuts can quickly become a reality for certain segments of the electronics industry if swift action is not taken to address the question asked in the headline of this opinion piece.

Western governments, led by the US, have amassed a growing armada of rules, regulations, laws, and sanctions aimed at limiting China’s access to IP, innovations and technologies used in the development and production of advanced technology products. In addition, laws tightening or proscribing engagement with Chinese companies have been introduced in recent years.

Ask any industry executives, though, and it would be difficult getting an answer on the precise objectives of these actions, the role their companies are expected to play, and whether they see an end in sight to the tightening rules or a future where commerce can be conducted without severe national restrictions and penalties for violating drastic rules. The industry has accepted that geopolitics have become a staple of business, but they nevertheless puzzle about how long this will be and whether their views matter anymore.

AI Past, Present, and Future (Part 1)

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The more powerful AI becomes, the more polarizing it gets. Some people love it, others loathe it, and there are those who are becoming increasingly fearful of what may be coming our way.

Japan and Tenstorrent Start AI Chip School

Japan and Tenstorrent Plan ‘AI Chip Design School’

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By Junko Yoshida

Tenstorrent, an AI startup, scored big with a commission from the Japanese government to train at its U.S. offices up to 200 semiconductor engineers from Japan over the course of five years.

Under this “Engineering Training Program” supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center (LSTC), selected engineers will have the opportunity to learn and work on Tenstorrernt’s cutting-edge AI/ML technology. Welcome to AI chip design school.

The program – almost two years in the making – is a brainchild spawned jointly by METI and Tenstorrent.

Intel-Samsung Foundry Union is a Non-Starter

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By Bolaji Ojo

Samsung Electronics has been unequivocal about its intentions regarding its foundry unit. The division, one of the last captive semiconductor fabrication operations in the world, is not available for sale. A spin-off is not in the cards either.

Neither concept makes sense, anyway.

A hook-up with Intel Foundry Services sounds even more ridiculous. And yet, speculators in the market are hawking this idea. A recent news report claims Intel had asked for a meeting with its Korean rival to discuss the formation of a foundry alliance that would be better positioned to compete against market leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC).

Arm vs. Qualcomm Marks the End of an Era

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By Peter Clarke

What’s at stake:
Access to Arm’s processor architecture is fundamental to Qualcomm’s business and has put it in a position to supply chipsets for the next generation of AI-enabled computers and Android smartphones. Therefore, a dispute between the companies is important to Microsoft and Samsung and numerous other PC and smartphone companies in their battles with Apple.

Going to court would not end Qualcomm Inc.’s endeavors immediately – technology-based legal disputes notoriously take years if not decades to resolve – but it would inhibit customer engagement and accelerate a transition to alternatives such as AI-forward architectures with RISC-V processors used for house-keeping.

And there is much at stake for Arm: Qualcomm’s revenue is one thing but more importantly is the idea of Arm as a benign third-party supplier of processor IP for many.