Intel Challenges Nvidia in Machine Learning

Intel is committed to producing CPUs to target machine learning systems, setting up an intriguing rivalry with graphical processing unit (GPU) vendor Nvidia. At the Intel Developer Forum yesterday, the company even brought out an executive from Chinese cloud giant Baidu to talk about the Xeon Phi, Intel's machine learning chip. The choice was interesting considering Baidu has been a vocal Nvidia customer. The potential ace up Intel's sleeve is the pending acquisition of Nervana, a deep learning startup reportedly working on a chip of its own. Intel executive vice president Diane Bryant mentioned Nervana during yesterday's keynote, but with the deal still not closed, it's understandable that she didn't articulate Intel's plans for the startup. The more immediate news for Intel was the announcement of its latest processor for machine learning.