It was last week when Intel held its Innovation Conference. There was a lot of innovation at this event, as opposed to Intel Vision, which lacked the “Vision” component (I miss Justin Rattner, the former CTO of Intel, who made it seem as though Intel was creating magic).
Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, did a great job of showing that the company is taking initiative. He still has the best chance, in my opinion. After the keynote, Gelsinger and I had a chance to speak. He has always struck me as interesting, approachable, knowledgeable, and entertaining—rare traits in a CEO, in my opinion.
I think the traditional PC is nearing the end of its useful life and is about to change or be replaced by a smartphone derivative. Gelsinger discussed an extremely aggressive cadence for the following several generations of AI-enhanced PCs and servers, showing that he is undoubtedly on the “evolve” path.
One of the things I learned was that you might want to hold off on purchasing your next PC until mid-December because that evolution will begin with a new AI-enhanced processor and improved graphics that more fully embrace the AI future than what is currently available in the market.
Let’s talk about what Intel Innovation 2023 produced this week, and we’ll finish with my Product of the Week, the Spectre Foldable 3-in-1 PC from HP, an “evolved” PC that could be the ideal tool for either a sales representative or a CEO. This device is a precursor to future HP products.
The Six Million Dollar Man is being built
In the 1970s, I loved watching a TV program called “The Six Million Dollar Man,” in which a test pilot who had been injured had several body parts replaced with robotic prosthetics that gave him superpowers. The Bionic Woman was a spin-off, but I didn’t connect with her as much as I did with the original character.
In order to help hearing-impaired people perform better than those with natural hearing, Gelsinger demonstrated a set of hearing aids he uses, which he later discussed with me.
The hearing aids perform real-time translation and cancel out background noise when you are listening to an audio or taking part in a videoconference. They alert the user of a change when someone approaches. The AI will automatically translate what is happening so that the user doesn’t miss any of the call by switching the audio from the event to the new person when the user wants to speak to that person.
I believe this to be a precursor to the next generation of prosthetics, replacement, or enhancement parts that not only compensate for the impairment but also produce an outcome that is superior to what nature intended, increasing the likelihood that the six-million-dollar man will become a reality. Prosthetics like these will be a game changer for those wounded in battle or while serving as first responders, who deserve our greatest support.
I anticipate that in the future, smart glasses and other prosthetics will incorporate similar AI technologies.
Avoiding returns in online shopping
Due to fraud, a lot of retailers have lowered their return policies. This is a problem for online clothing purchases because there is currently no simple way to guarantee the clothing will fit properly or look good on us, especially given how widely sizes can vary both domestically and internationally.
Another innovation was presented by Gelsinger: an AI-driven kiosk that can be downloaded as a PC application and more precisely matches clothing sizes to your individual build while also displaying how you would appear in the clothing. This technology would go a long way toward guaranteeing that your online clothing purchase will be as hassle-free as if you had purchased the item in a brick-and-mortar store.
It would be really nice if I never had to return anything again because I’ve never liked doing that.
Individually Developed Entertainment
Taylor Swift is a favorite artist of mine, but I’m not a big fan of the lyrics she writes because they often seem to be about punishing an ex-boyfriend and they make me think of some dubious actions I may have taken when I was single. Gelsinger demonstrated how this new PC AI technology known as an NPU for Neural Processing Unit can create a song that sounded like a Taylor Swift song sung by Taylor Swift, but that was specifically created by the AI.
He also displayed images that were produced using the description or by fusing two different images together, such as when he had an astronaut strike a ballet dancer’s pose in a still image so that he could then add motion to it. With the right examples and instructions given to the AI, this technology suggests you could produce your own TV shows or movies.
My aim would be to include myself, my family, and friends in the films I make, despite the fact that I’m sure actors are worried that their likenesses would be used for this purpose. Given my preference for movies, I believe I could enjoy myself immensely doing this, but I am unsure of their level of support. For instance, I believe it would be entertaining to imagine myself as John Wick.
Getting ready for a Pivot
It was revealed that Intel is also utilizing RISC-V during a later break-out session. Gelsinger had previously disclosed that Intel had made a sizeable investment in ARM’s IPO.
If there is a shift away from PCs and toward something like Apple’s Mac, which combines conventional PC form factors with an ARM processor based on smartphones, these moves will better position Intel. The most recent Macs, according to some of my analyst friends, are the best PCs on the planet.
Even though x86 is still going strong, smartphones seem to be catching up so quickly that Intel may need to switch to this technology in the future. Assuring that his company can change course to survive is a responsibility of the CEO, and Gelsinger seems to be fulfilling that responsibility.
A Thomas Watson Jr. quote comes to mind. IBM’s willingness to change everything but who you are is an example of this. According to Pat Gelsinger, Intel will be able to do just that if necessary.
The Centrino Moment for AI
In his subsequent remarks, Gelsinger referred to AI as being in a Centrino moment and stated that he anticipates the technology to mature in 215 years, just as Centrino did. Back then, when my wife was working with Gelsinger, she told me that Andy Grove, Intel’s CEO at the time, had described the Centrino logo as resembling his prostate. Let’s hope that the NPU will look better if Gelsinger logos it.
AI and Centrino differ significantly in this one area. Centrino, which brought Wi-Fi to laptops, was driven by Intel, but AI is being driven externally to Intel and seems to be moving much more quickly.
In conclusion, I don’t think Gelsinger will have two and a half years, but since he’s introducing products this year, he’s obviously getting Intel to move as quickly as it can.
I’m done now.
PCs will become much more intelligent and powerful over the coming generations. I was impressed by the company’s efforts and Gelsinger’s concern for ensuring Intel’s long-term survival as I left the Intel Innovation event, and I also enjoyed catching up with him. When my wife and he both worked at Intel, he once covered for her, and I don’t believe I ever expressed my gratitude to him enough for that.
Intel is making preparations for the development of AI in any case. Despite the company’s ongoing efforts to correct errors that have put it behind rivals, the brand continues to be among the strongest in the sector despite its inability to keep CMOs (a problem Gelsinger still needs to address).
From this, Intel will become stronger. The question is not if that will happen, but rather when.
Foldable 3-in-1 PC from HP called the Spectre
I enjoy cutting-edge products. The newest method for packing a lot of screen space into a mobile platform is the use of foldable screens. I also support screens larger than 15 inches, but the three to four pounds I prefer to carry are typically outweighed by the 10 to 15 pounds that notebooks and mobile workstations in this class typically weigh.
The HP Spectre Foldable 3-in-1 costs $5,000, so it’s not for those who are easily intimidated. For executive or sales presentations or for watching videos while flying, its distinctive 17-inch foldable screen would be fantastic. If I were to take this puppy out of my computer bag, the person seated next to me would surely be green with envy.
The design of this foldable is intriguing because it can change from a large tablet to a small notebook to an all-in-one device. The keyboard charges or is powered when the device is in the laptop configuration, making it possible to use it in a coach seat. With a built-in kickstand, the fold-out screen also functions well as a video device for your hotel room or when giving a presentation.
You’d think the battery life would be terrible considering the device has a stunning OLED screen, but it isn’t. With a 17-inch class device, its battery life of more than 12 hours ought to be industry-leading. Two batteries that are already integrated into the device allow for this performance as well as a long battery life and a balanced feel in either laptop or tablet mode.
The Spectre Foldable 3-in-1 has an Intel Unison processor for smartphone integration and a dedicated processor to handle some security. Given the cost, top executives (like Intel’s CEO) who must pitch ideas to investors and other executives as well as artists who must use digital images to present their concepts and works of art are the ideal users for this.
This laptop is incredibly inventive. The HP Spectre Foldable 3-in-1 is my Product of the Week because, if I’m being completely honest, I have a little bit of lust for it.