Intel Corp. said today it’s looking to leverage the growing demand for artificial intelligence in the automotive industry, launching its first-ever discrete graphics processing unit for autonomous and intelligent cars at a special event in Shenzhen, China.

The new Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive dGPU was unveiled at the company’s AI Cockpit Innovation Experience, ahead of a mass rollout that’s planned to begin next year. According to the chipmaker, the new dGPU will be commercially deployed in vehicles in China starting in early 2025, unlocking a new era of “AI-driven cockpit experiences and enhanced personalization” for drivers and car manufacturers.

The launch of the Intel Arc for Automotive dGPU may help to boost Intel’s participation in an AI boom that has largely passed the company by. The chipmaker has been forced to sit on the sidelines, watching while its rival Nvidia Corp. dominates the market for data center AI processors. Nvidia’s all-powerful GPUs are believed to be powering about 90% of all AI workloads these days, and that has helped it to become one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.

In contrast, Intel has stumbled from one disaster to another lately, having missed the AI boat almost entirely. Things came to a head last week when it announced that it’s going to need to lay off 15% of its workforce, equating to about 15,000 staff, as it looks to turn around its struggling business.

The company believes there’s an opportunity for it to make an impact in the automotive industry, which – just like itself – is desperate to cash in on the demand for generative AI. To enable AI experiences in cars, automotive makers must integrate the hardware that powers them directly into the vehicles they sell, so there could be a lot of demand for a promising chip such as Intel’s.

Intel describes the new Intel Arc for Automotive dGPU as an open, flexible and scalable platform solution for onboard AI. It builds on the company’s Intel SDV System-on-Chip, which is an entry-level processor that powers basic AI features in vehicles. According to Intel, the dGPU provides additional horsepower to support more “premium in-car AI capabilities.” For instance, it can power in-car assistants capable of assisting drivers in navigation and answering general questions, and deliver enhanced entertainment for passengers.

Intel showcased some of these capabilities at the event, including its support for voice and gesture recognition. It explained that the dGPU will enable car makers to equip their vehicles with an assortment of cameras and 4K resolution displays that serve as combined entertainment and productivity hubs for passengers.

In one demonstration, Intel’s partner, the infotainment system provider Thunder Software Technology Co. Ltd., revealed a new Cockpit user interface. It transforms vehicles into immersive mobile hubs, with support for up to seven high-definition displays capable of rendering 3D graphics.

The dGPU can also power up to six in-car cameras, enabling each occupant within a vehicle to use gesture commands and engage in video chats. Through the displays, Thundersoft’s infotainment system can even run high-performance AAA console games streamed from the cloud.

Another partner, the Chinese AI company Zhiphu Technologies Co. Ltd., demonstrated an in-car AI assistant that’s based on locally hosted large language models and powered by Intel’s chip. According to Ziphu, Intel’s dGPU provides the enhanced processing power its AI assistants need to execute complex vehicle commands in natural language, respond to vehicle-related prompts (such as request to switch on the air-conditioning), and also questions such as “Where is the nearest gas station?”. The AI assistant can even engage with bored drivers in more general, leisurely chats about other topics, such as what they can expect to find at their destination.

Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. said the automotive market might yet prove to be a bright spot for Intel amid its struggles to make progress elsewhere in the AI industry. “The connected car is a battleground for chipmakers, and it’s good to see Intel not only staying, but actually upping its game,” he said. “There are concerns about how it will fare in the Chinese market due to the ongoing chip trade wars between China and the U.S., but given the size of its automotive market, you can’t blame Intel for trying.”

Intel said automotive developers will be able to tap into an ecosystem of more than 100 software companies, who have created more than 500 AI-powered features and applications for vehicles, so they can effectively choose from a wide range of prebuilt in-car experiences.

“Intel’s strategy is to bring the power of AI into devices of every size and shape, and we’re thrilled to bring that expertise and our vast open AI ecosystem to the automotive industry,” said Intel Automotive Vice President and General Manager Jack Weast. “China’s rapid electric vehicle development cycles and advanced technological adoption make it an ideal testing ground for our next-generation technologies.”

Image: Intel