Intel aims to conquer AI with the Nervana processor

Intel enlisted one of the most enthusiastic users of deep learning and artificial intelligence to help out with the chip design. "We are thrilled to have Facebook in close collaboration sharing their technical insights as we bring this new generation of AI hardware to market," said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich in a statement. On top of social media, Intel is targeting healthcare, automotive and weather, among other applications. Unlike its PC chips, the Nervana NNP is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that's specially made for both training and executing deep learning algorithms. "The speed and computational efficiency of deep learning can be greatly advanced by ASICs that are customized for ... this workload," writes Intel's VP of AI, Naveen Rao.