Intel Innovation 2023: Intel focuses on AI including AI PC, new Xeon processors and the OpenVINO Toolkit

Today’s news deals with the first day of Intel’s Innovation 2023 and uses Intel’s official press material for this (due to a lack of personal presence). Of course, the following content is written from Intel’s point of view and should be classified accordingly. Nevertheless, it is of course interesting to read how and where Intel classifies itself, what its plans look like and what efforts it is making in the field of AI in order not to miss the boat.

In this context, Intel also confirms that the so-called “five-node-in-four-years-process” technology plan (how should we actually translate that in a manner appropriate to the species?) remains on track and presents the world’s first multi-chiplet package with Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe). The company also revealed new details on next-generation Intel® Xeon® processors, reporting significant advances in energy efficiency and performance. In addition, they are introducing an e-core processor with 288 cores. The 5th generation of Intel® Xeon® processors will be launched on December 14.

The so-called AI PC will be introduced with the launch of the Intel® Core™ Ultra processors on December 14. Featuring Intel’s first integrated Neural Processing Unit, Core Ultra is said to enable energy-efficient AI acceleration and local inference on the PC. A large AI supercomputer will be built on Intel Xeon processors and Intel® Gaudi®2 AI hardware accelerators, with Stability AI as the primary customer. The general availability of Intel® Developer Cloud for building and testing high-performance applications such as AI was also announced, including details that it is already being used by customers. New and upcoming Intel software solutions, including the 2023.1 release of the Intel® Distribution of OpenVINO™ Toolkit, will help developers unlock new AI capabilities.

But let’s get to the parts from Intel’s press release after this abbreviated overview and summary. Namely, at its third annual Intel Innovation event, Intel unveiled a set of technologies designed to make AI ubiquitous and accessible across all workloads, from client and edge to network and cloud.

“AI represents a generational shift, ushering in a new era of global expansion where computing is even more fundamental to a better future for all,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. “For developers, this opens up tremendous social and business opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, create solutions to the world’s biggest challenges and improve the lives of every person on the planet.”

In a keynote presentation opening the event, Gelsinger showed how Intel is bringing AI capabilities on top of its hardware products and making them accessible through open, multi-architecture software solutions. He also highlighted how AI is helping to drive what he called the “Siliconomy,” a “growing economy enabled by the magic of silicon and software.” Today, silicon feeds a $574 billion industry, which in turn fuels a global tech economy worth nearly $8 trillion.

New advances in chips, packaging and multi-chiplet solutions

The work begins with innovations in silicon. Intel’s five-node-in-four-years process development program (what a term!) is progressing well, Gelsinger said, with Intel 7 already in high-volume production, Intel 4 ready for manufacturing, and Intel 3 on track for the end of this year. Gelsinger also showed an Intel 20A wafer with the first test chips for Intel’s Arrow Lake processor, destined for the client computing market in 2024. Intel 20A will be the first process node to integrate PowerVia, Intel’s backside power supply technology, and the new gate-all-around transistor design called RibbonFET. Intel 18A, which also uses PowerVia and RibbonFET, remains on track to be ready for production in the second half of 2024.

Another way Intel plans to push Moore’s Law is with new materials and new packaging technologies, such as glass substrates – a groundbreaking announcement from Intel this week. When introduced later this decade, glass substrates will enable continuous scaling of transistors on a package to meet the needs of data-intensive, high-performance workloads like AI and keep Moore’s Law alive well beyond 2030.

Intel also showed a test chip package with Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe). The next wave of Moore’s Law will come with multi-chiplet packages, Gelsinger said, and will come faster if open standards can reduce the friction of integrating IP. Founded last year, the UCIe standard will allow chiplets from different vendors to work together, enabling new designs for extending different AI workloads. The open specification is supported by more than 120 companies. The test chip combines an Intel UCIe IP chiplet fabricated on Intel 3 and a Synopsys UCIe IP chiplet fabricated on the TSMC N3E process node. The chiplets are connected using advanced packaging technology called Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB). The demonstration underscores the commitment of TSMC, Synopsys and Intel Foundry Services to support an open, standards-based chiplet ecosystem with UCIe.

Boosting performance and extending AI for all(s)

Gelsinger highlighted the range of AI technology available to developers today on Intel platforms – and how that range will expand dramatically in the coming year to make AI available everywhere. Gelsinger pointed to the planned launch of the 5th generation Intel® Xeon® processors, which will hit the market on December 14. These processors will offer significant advances in energy efficiency and performance, including an e-core processor with an impressive 288 cores.

Another highlight was the unveiling of the Intel® Core™ Ultra processor, which will also be launched on December 14. This processor will include Intel’s first integrated Neural Processing Unit and is expected to enable energy-efficient AI acceleration and local inference on the PC. Construction has also been announced to begin on a large AI supercomputer. This supercomputer will be based on Intel Xeon processors and Intel® Gaudi®2 AI hardware accelerators, with Stability AI as the primary customer.

To support the development of high-performance applications, including AI, Intel has announced the general availability of the Intel® Developer Cloud. The cloud is already being used by customers to build and test applications. In addition, Intel showcased new and upcoming software solutions, including the 2023.1 release of the Intel® Distribution of OpenVINO™ Toolkit, which will help developers unlock new AI capabilities.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger emphasized the central role of AI in today’s society, stating that it “represents a generational shift and ushers in a new era of global expansion.” He pointed out that AI is paving the way for the “Siliconomy,” an economy enabled by “the magic of silicon and software.” In summary, Intel unveiled a series of technological innovations aimed at making AI available everywhere and helping developers unlock new AI capabilities. With a clear focus on AI, Intel unveiled the next generation of processors and software solutions designed to drive the “Siliconomy” and change the world through the power of silicon and software.