The Beetle: ‘Love, love me do!’
As we drive pell-mell into an era of AI and bewildering technology, I have lately harbored the hope that Volkswagen will seize the notion of a “simple car.”
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Intel CEO Asks Altman $7 Trillion Question
What’s at stake:
If Sam Altman is right, we are heading into the world where more content are generated by AI than by humans. We don’t know its implications, neither Altman does.
I had the good fortune to see and listen to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, live at the Intel Foundry event this week.
Was I glad to be there? Yes, because I saw firsthand the emperor with no clothes. More accurately, perhaps a nothingburger without a bun.
The venue for this alleged world leader in AI was a fireside chat with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.
Read More »Intel CEO Asks Altman $7 Trillion Question
Foundry Dreams Spotlighted at Intel-Palooza
What’s at stake:
“Intel Foundry Day” was described by one executive as a “coming out party” to burnish the image of Intel Corp.’s foundry enterprise. This isn’t Intel’s first crack at wooing customers into its foundry. The thing is this: beyond building new fabs around the world, has Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger done enough to prove that his ‘IDM 2.0’ strategy for manufacturing, innovation and product leadership is also working for customers?
By lining up big guns like U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as “Foundry Day” speakers, Intel highlighted its power to pull strings and issue a reminder that it remains a heavyweight in the global semiconductor industry.
To establish itself as a credible, independent foundry, however, Intel must go beyond pageantry.
Read More »Foundry Dreams Spotlighted at Intel-Palooza
Arm Doubles Down on AI, Chiplets With Neoverse Update
By Bolaji Ojo
What’s at stake:
The artificial intelligence market is poised to be a top economic growth driver, and everyone wants a piece of the business. By updating its Neoverse IP to address AI and chiplets, Arm is moving to solidify its formidable position in the semiconductor design process. Global hyperscalers are already using Arm’s Neoverse, but the IP vendor is taking no chances. Will Neoverse CSS V3 and Neoverse CSS N3 help push Arm deeper into the AI market?
Arm Holdings Plc has unveiled updated versions of its Neoverse intellectual property for the semiconductor industry, aiming the two offerings directly at the artificial intelligence market with the goal of a the tighter embrace with its current customers and others exploring options in the fast-growing sector.
With Neoverse CSS N3 and Neoverse CSS V3, both updates on the earlier versions (dubbed CSS N2 and CSS V2, respectively), Arm is plunging headfirst into two of the hottest segments of the semiconductor world – AI and chiplets.
Read More »Arm Doubles Down on AI, Chiplets With Neoverse Update
Glazed with AI, Arm Market Value Soars
By Bolaji Ojo
What’s at stake:
Few companies have had as tangled a history as Nvidia Corp. and Arm Holdings, both of which have seen their valuations skyrocket on surging demand for artificial intelligence hardware, software and intellectual property. The only challenge for Arm lies in whether its growing list of AI customers would be similarly able to turn the company’s IP into huge windfalls. If not, a retreat in valuation could occur as suddenly as rapidly as the ascent of its shares.
It turns out Softbank Group has reasons worth billions of dollars to appreciate M&A regulators.
Arm Holdings, the once wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate, has turned into one of the most valuable properties in Softbank’s portfolio, courtesy of the buzz around artificial intelligence.
Read More »Glazed with AI, Arm Market Value Soars
As AI Challenges Chipmakers, EDA Must Up the Ante
What’s at stake:
Whether foundry, processor IP company, or EDA vendor, practically every major player in the electronics industry is scrambling to adapt its business strategies, product lines and roadmaps to exploit the explosive growth of AI. What does the AI community want from EDA and who among EDA tool suppliers can rise to the occasion?
Everyone in the electronics industry wants to surf the AI wave. Just discussing AI is good business. Wall Street is listening.
More significantly, AI has begun breaking traditional business models and tech development practices. To process AI, hardware must be able to handle massive software workloads. AI chips/accelerators also typically require huge designs.
Read More »As AI Challenges Chipmakers, EDA Must Up the Ante
Chiplets: If It Happens in China, Will It Stay in China?
By Junko Yoshida
What’s at stake:
China’s chiplet aspirations are well known. But will China use its domestic chiplet activities as an opportunity to decouple from the rest of the world? We think the reality is contrary.
Chiplets represent a once-in-a-lifetime revolution that will allow the semiconductor world to disaggregate the processes of designing, manufacturing, testing and packaging silicon – the fundamental matter who does what. China wants to seize this moment to play a big role in this new world order.
Read More »Chiplets: If It Happens in China, Will It Stay in China?
Memo to Auto Chipmakers: AVs’ Failure is Your Failure, Too
By Bolaji Ojo
What’s at stake?
When autonomous vehicles do not perform as expected, the entire industry, including the semiconductor companies supplying the subsystems and other components, will be negatively impacted. End-users will ask: Why are you teaming up with auto OEMs to put on the roads vehicles that clearly need further technology development and design work?
Cruise and Waymo have one thing in common. Their autonomous vehicles have earned the humiliating disdain of some intended customers.
If you are a semiconductor supplier whose products have been designed into Cruise’s autonomous vehicle or Waymo’s robotaxi, you’ve got the beginning of a public relations nightmare.
Read More »Memo to Auto Chipmakers: AVs’ Failure is Your Failure, Too
Cruise Accident Response Focuses on How, Not Why
The AV company’s critics assert its remote controllers in Arizona are unable to ensure safe operations.
Cruise Crash Walkthrough Analysis
Phil Koopman’s stellar one-hour walkthrough of what happened at the Cruise Robotaxi crash on Oct. 2, 2023.