AI is embedded in Intel's chipmaking process from 'front end silicon design, back end, software development, all the way to manufacturing'

AI has its uses. While it's tempting to think of AI in terms of chatbots, image -generators and perhaps the thing that might end us all if we're not careful, major tech companies have been busy implementing AI and machine learning optimisation into multiple aspects of their business, in a quest to integrate what used to be a fringe concept into the processes that create the products you may already own.

I recently had the chance to chat to Intel India President and VP & Head of Client Computing Group Sustainability, Gokul Subramaniam, in a wide ranging discussion about Intel's sustainability goals, product life cycles and more. 

I took the opportunity to ask how Intel uses AI and machine learning models in regards to efficiency within its products, and whether AI was used to optimise the process.

«We have AI in engineering as a big focus area, starting from the front end of our silicon design at the RTL level, to the back end, which is basically post powering on the silicon leading it all the way to production readiness. And then in our software development and debug, we use AI as well as in our manufacturing use, and to test how we use AI.

»We also use AI when it comes to a lot of the telemetry data that we collect to figure out what decisions we can take from a usage standpoint and things like that. So it's a big focus area across the lifecycle, front end silicon design, back end, software development, all the way to manufacturing."

So it appears that, according to Intel, AI is already involved in a huge number of aspects of chip design and production. However, given that our discussion revolved around Intel's goals towards sustainability, I also took the chance to ask him about his views on the scalability of AI, and the sustainability of the increasing power demands that come with it.

«One of the things that Intel believes in is the AI continuum, from cloud data centre, to network edge and the PC. Now, what that means is, it's an AI continuum, it's not one size