Intel has revealed its first discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU), the Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive, at its AI Cockpit Innovation Experience event. Aiming to advance automotive AI, the electronics firm expects to deploy the product commercially in vehicles from 2025, facilitating new AI-driven cockpit experiences and enhanced personalization for OEMs and their customers alike.
Through its announcement, Intel is looking to address the growing demand for compute power in increasingly sophisticated vehicle cockpits. By adding the Intel Arc Graphics for Automotive to its existing portfolio of AI-enhanced, SDV SoCs, Intel is aiming to offer an open, flexible and scalable platform solution that brings next-level, high-fidelity experiences to next-gen vehicles.
The company is likewise intending for its new technology to be integrated across a broad range of vehicles. For example, entry and mid-level models can leverage the Intel SDV SoC, while higher-end vehicles can benefit from the added horsepower of the dGPU to power more premium vehicle features. This approach streamlines development as software is fully compatible across both the integrated GPU, and the discrete GPU. Intel’s AI Cockpit Experience showcased a future where in-vehicle AI creates intuitive and personalized interactions among the driver, passengers and vehicle that can personalize the ride and optimize the driving experience.
With its new AI cockpit solution, Intel says OEMs will be able to choose its SDV SoC before adding its discrete GPU for managing larger compute workloads and expanding AI features leveraging a unified instruction set designed to simplify development. A new Intel-powered voice, camera and gesture recognition system allow vehicles to act as ‘immersive mobile hubs’. In a demonstration of these capabilities, Thundersoft – a provider of OS technologies – showcased its new cockpit UI that supports seven different screens rendering 3D graphics, and six in-vehicle cameras and interactive features, while also running high-demand gaming titles and AI applications for smart mobile working.
Intel also showcased the dGPU’s AI applications, which allow automakers to offer AI algorithms that can learn driver preferences and adapt cockpit settings without voice commands. Zhipu, an AI technology firm, demonstrated its AI Car Assistant which runs local LLMs on Intel’s compute platform. The demo highlighted the assistant’s ability to execute complex vehicle control commands through natural language processing, answer vehicle-related questions accurately, and naturally converse with users.
