Intel is about to produce GPUs for data centers

“I just recruited the chief GPU architect for Intel, and he is very good. I am very happy that he joined our team. Convincing was quite difficult,” Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said at the Cisco AI Summit 2026 event on February 3.

In an interview on the sidelines of Cisco AI Summit 2026 with ReutersMr. Tan said the GPU development effort will target data centers, with Eric Demmers and Kevork Kechichian participating.

Kechichian is currently Executive Vice President and Head of Intel’s Data Center Group. He was hired in September 2025 with a series of new employees. Demmers is a former Qualcomm executive and joined Intel last year.

“Our strategy is closely related to data centers,” Mr. Tan said. “We’re working with the customer, then determining what the customer needs.”

Also according to Intel CEO, there are “a few customers who are actively cooperating” with contract chip manufacturing activities through Intel Foundry. Interest is currently focused on 14A manufacturing technology (equivalent to 1.4 nm process), mass production could be ramped up later this year.

In the interview, Mr. Tan also revealed that he was “shocked” to discover that Huawei recruited about 100 top designers last year, despite being banned by the US. He said, when he asked a designer why he didn’t join an American semiconductor business that had more modern tools, they replied that Huawei didn’t have the best system but had “poor” solutions that were highly effective.

“In my opinion, Huawei is closely behind us. If we are not careful, they will surpass us,” Intel CEO added.

After a long time of being out of breath, Intel is returning to the high-performance processor chip race when it launched the Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” line manufactured on the 18A process (equivalent to 2 nm) early last month. Core Ultra Series 3 brings together a series of versions for many different needs, from personal computers, edge computing to robotics, showing the American chip company’s great ambitions in many fields.

However, in the GPU segment for data centers, Intel is currently out of the game. According to TechCrunchentering the new field is a “notable expansion step” for the American chip company. However, in the context of Nvidia dominating the market, Intel’s ability to compete is still open.