Intel in advanced talks to snag AI startup SambaNova for $1.6B - could this finally crack Big Tech’s GPU monopoly?
Picture this: Intel, the underdog chip giant, dropping $1.6 billion on AI startup SambaNova Systems. Bloomberg’s dropping this bombshell amid AI bubble jitters, with Wall Street betting on when the hype pops. SambaNova’s not just any player - their systems are built for massive AI workloads, potentially giving Intel a real shot at challenging NVIDIA’s stranglehold.
As a dev, this matters because your next ML model might run cheaper and faster. No more begging for A100s; Intel could flood the market with affordable AI silicon. Pair it with their foundry push, and suddenly edge AI on laptops becomes viable. I’ve wasted hours on GPU queues - this could end that nightmare.
My hot take: Skeptical but excited. Intel’s fumbled before, but with AI compute costs skyrocketing, they need this win. Watch for the deal close - will you switch your stack if they deliver?
Source: Bloomberg Technology