In a recent earnings call, Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, expressed his objectives to establish partnerships with industry giants to develop specialized silicon for artificial intelligence (AI). Tan signaled his ambitions for collaboration with potential leaders in the field, suggesting that discussions may involve Nvidia, known for its advanced AI hardware, or OpenAI, which leads in AI models.

Tan elaborated, stating, “We’re going to look for partnership with the industry leader to build a purpose-built silicon and a software to optimize for that platform.”

The implications of this could lead Intel to seek roles in Nvidia’s AI solutions or focus on custom silicon for OpenAI.

Moreover, Tan underscored the time-intensive nature of these aspirations, affirming, “We are taking a holistic approach to redefine our portfolio to optimize our products for new and emerging AI workloads. We are making necessary adjustments to our product roadmap so that we are positioned to make the best in class products while staying laser focused on execution and ensuring on time delivery. However, I want to emphasize that this is not a quick fix here. These changes will take time.”

Furthermore, during his talks, Tan mentioned TSMC’s involvement, indicating a mutual interest in collaboration with TSMC’s founder and current CEO.

Likewise, he noted the challenges Intel faces, hinting at potential workforce reductions as the company looks to streamline operations. “Organizational complexity has stifled innovation. We will reduce the layers that obscure decision-making,” he stated, as he prepares to implement a mandatory return-to-office policy for employees beginning in Q3 2025.