Intel spins out AI software firm

Jan 03 (Reuters): Intel said on Wednesday it was forming a new independent company around its artificial intelligence software efforts with backing from digital-focused asset manager DigitalBridge Group and other investors.

Intel executives would not comment on the value of the deal or whether it would retain a majority stake in the new venture, other than to say the firm would have an independent board of directors and the chipmaker would remain a shareholder.

The new entity, which will not be publicly traded and will be called Articul8 AI (pronounced "Articulate AI"), is an outgrowth of work on corporate AI technology that Intel initially carried out with Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Using one of its own supercomputers, Intel developed a generative AI system that can read text and images using a combination of open-source and internally developed technology. Intel then modified that system to run inside BCG's own data centers to help address BCG's privacy and security concerns.

Arun Subramaniyan, who was formerly vice president and general manager in Intel’s data center and AI group and will become chief executive of Articul8, said many other potential customers expressed similar reservations about turning their data over to large cloud computing companies for AI work.