From smart assistants like Alexa and Siri to the latest bleeding edge advancements in robotics, there’s no buzzier buzzwords in the tech world than artificial intelligence. The topic of AI has been a primary focus for Intel’s Brian Krzanich, as he works to expand the chipmaker’s scope from PCs to the next generation of technology breakthroughs.
Intel’s Chief Executive will be joining us on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2017 in September to discuss the company’s recent massive investments in AI, from multibillion dollar acquisitions to the formation of the Artificial Intelligence Products Group, which reports directly to Krzanich.
Intel’s CEO has been extremely bullish about forward facing technologies since taking the helm in 2013. Along with AI, under Krzanich’s watch, the silicon juggernaut has become a leader in developing the underlying technologies that power 5G networks, self-driving cards, drones and cloud computing.
It marks a strong contrast from the Intel Krzanich inherited as chief, which was still reeling from a failure to fully embrace mobile. Instead the company ceded much of the market it dominant during its 90s heyday, as other chipmakers rushed in to dominate smartphones and tablets.
Krzanich has seen plenty of ups and downs during his time at the company, having first come on board as an engineer 35 years ago. In the intervening years, he’s held a wide range of different roles at the company, serving as a fabrication plant manager and holding leadership positions in the company’s manufacturing organization, before become COO in 2012.
Since his most recent promotion, the company’s PC focus has shifted from 80-percent of the business to around 50-percent, with the other half shifting toward more forward facing technologies. Recently, the company has made a big investment in drones, including last year’s Super Bowl halftime, which featured 300 flying in tandem, alongside Lady Gaga (subsequent displays have featured up to 500).
Of course, diversification doesn’t always take. Intel’s massive investment in wearables doesn’t appear to have panned out. That wing of the company has taken a pretty notable hit as the rest of the industry has flatlined. On a whole, however, most of the company’s recent moves appear to have put Intel on the right track as it looks to take on the future of the ever-changing tech world head on.
Late last night Kraznich joined several other executives and left one of Trump’s advisory councils in the wake of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, which many felt was inadequately addressed by the president and his administration. In a post on Policy@Intel, the company’s public policy blog, Brian Krzanich wrote that he resigned from the American Manufacturing Council on Monday “to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues, including the serious need to address the decline of American manufacturing.”
Krzanich will join us to discuss how a company with roots as deep as Intel’s plans for the future. You can plan on being there to hear it first hand. Tickets are now available at an early bird rate.