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Intel has introduced its new Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive series of GPUs to deliver AI experiences within cars.
After smartphones and PCs, the automotive industry is set for disruptions with AI-backed experiences inside cars. Among the companies that want to lead this transformation are chipmakers such as Intel. They recently announced a new discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU) to assist with AI inside vehicles.
At its AI Cockpit Innovation Experience event in China, Intel introduced a new series of dGPUs for cars. The series, known as “Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive,” will comprise dGPUs that will complement Intel’s existing line of chips for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The new GPU will be deployed in production grade vehicles in China starting as early as next year.
Intel says the new Arc GPUs will enable “sophisticated vehicle cockpits” where AI inside automobiles will lead to “intuitive and personalized interactions among the driver, passengers, and vehicle.” These personalized experiences may be as elementary as voice recognition to full-blown AI assistants inside the car that execute a variety of functions to improve the ride as well as drive quality.
Understandably, the development comes as a result of its acquisition of Silicon Mobility SAS, which specialized in bespoke semiconductor and software solutions for electric vehicles. The acquisition was announced on the sidelines of CES 2024, where Intel also announced its first generation of system-on-chips (SoCs) for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). Besides experiences within the cockpit, these chipsets were advertised as a means to power controls of the car, including sensors for autonomous driving and optimized charging.
Although these chipsets already offer inbuilt Intel Xe graphics, the company says the additional power from the dGPU will enable more premium experiences in higher trim vehicles. A scenario where both the CPU and the GPU are delivered by Intel would ensure the two work in tandem as any incompatibility or malfunctioning could prove fatal, especially for fully autonomous vehicles.
With its entry into the automotive sector, Intel could truly benefit from the AI buzz. Although Intel entered the market with its reimagined Core Ultra lineup of x86 mobile CPUs in December 2023, the hype has been hampered by Qualcomm’s latest announcement of ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chips which have taken the laptop world by storm.
In the meantime, traditional competitors in the chipmaking business – Nvidia and AMD – are gaining ground with the rising demand for GPUs to be used in data centers. Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake CPUs may allay this to some extent as the company claims a massive leap in neural processing with the next generation of chips.
