According to Phoronix, Intel has quietly dropped two significant updates that show where they’re heading. The company updated their LLM-Scaler with support for OpenAI’s GPT-OSS model, which basically means better optimization for running these AI models on Intel hardware. Meanwhile, they’re also pushing out initial graphics driver patches for multi-device SVM support. This SVM work is about letting multiple GPUs work together more efficiently on shared memory tasks. Both updates landed in recent days without much fanfare, but they’re pretty telling about Intel’s priorities right now.
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Intel’s AI hardware ambitions
Here’s the thing – Intel’s playing catch-up in the AI accelerator space, and they know it. Nvidia’s been dominating with their CUDA ecosystem, while AMD’s been making moves with ROCm. Now Intel’s throwing their hat in the ring with these LLM-Scaler updates. Supporting OpenAI’s GPT-OSS model specifically? That’s not accidental. They’re targeting the exact models developers actually want to run.
But can they actually compete? The multi-device SVM work suggests they’re thinking bigger than just single-card solutions. They’re building infrastructure for scaling across multiple GPUs, which is exactly what you need for serious AI workloads. It’s a smart play, but the question remains whether developers will bother switching from established ecosystems.
Who wins and loses here?
Look, if Intel can actually deliver competitive performance at better prices, this could put serious pressure on Nvidia’s near-monopoly. We’ve all seen how crazy GPU prices got during the AI boom. More competition? That’s good for everyone except maybe Nvidia shareholders.
AMD should be watching closely too. They’ve been the main alternative to Nvidia, but now there’s another player entering the ring. The interesting part is that Intel’s approach seems more open – supporting standard APIs rather than pushing proprietary solutions. That could win them points with the developer community that’s tired of vendor lock-in.
Basically, we’re looking at a potential three-way race in AI hardware. And honestly, it’s about time. The market’s been begging for alternatives to Nvidia’s pricing power. Whether Intel can actually execute remains to be seen, but these technical updates show they’re at least building the right foundations.
