Intel launches a dedicated AI group and research lab - SiliconANGLE

As rival chip makers work to target workloads using artificial intelligence, Intel Corp. is upping the ante by unifying its own efforts under a dedicated business group announced today. The division will be led by Naveen Rao, a veteran of the semiconductor industry with a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience. He came aboard last year after Intel acquired his deep learning startup, Nervana Systems Inc., in a deal reportedly worth over $400 million. The executive wrote in a blog post that the Artificial Intelligence Products Group will work to "align resources from across the company to include engineering, labs, software and more" around a common roadmap. Intel, which has acquired Altera Corp., Nervana, Movidius Ltd. and other intellectual property in recent years, late last year accelerated its efforts in AI, announcing new chips, software and partnerships.