Springhill is Intel’s first AI chip, set to power large computing centres

Facebook is already using Intel’s Nervana NNP-I also known as Springhil AI processor.

Intel unveils first artificial intelligence chip Springhill (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Intel Corp on Tuesday unveiled its latest processor that will be its first using artificial intelligence (AI) and is designed for large computing centres.

The chip, developed at its development facility in Haifa, Israel, is known as Nervana NNP-I or Springhill and is based on a 10 nanometre Ice Lake processor that will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy, Intel said.

Facebook, it said, already has started using the product.

Intel said its first AI product comes after it had invested in Israeli AI startups, including Habana Labs and NeuroBlade.

"In order to reach a future situation of 'AI everywhere', we have to deal with huge amounts of data generated and make sure organisations are equipped with what they need to make effective use of the data and process them where they are collected," said Naveen Rao, general manager of Intel's artificial intelligence products group.

"These computers need acceleration for complex AI applications."

It said the new hardware chip will help Intel Xeon processors in large companies as the need for complicated computations in the AI field increases.