Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said on Thursday that the company will continue supplying its Xeon processors to Google Cloud for AI, inference and general workloads. The renewed collaboration also includes expanded co-development of custom ASIC-based infrastructure processing units (IPUs) aimed at improving efficiency, utilization and performance at scale.
Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian confirmed the deal, stating that the partnership will reinforce the central role of CPUs and IPUs in modern, heterogeneous AI systems. The companies first announced their collaboration in 2024 and have since deepened technical integration across data center hardware.
The expanded agreement covers joint engineering for next-generation IPUs designed to handle AI workloads more efficiently than traditional architectures. Intel will provide its latest Xeon processors while Google will integrate these with its custom silicon platforms.
Industry analysts note that the move reflects growing demand for specialized hardware in AI infrastructure. Companies are seeking alternatives to proprietary accelerators to reduce costs and improve flexibility.
The partnership also includes joint benchmarking and optimization efforts to ensure compatibility between Intel’s processors and Google’s AI software stacks.
Source: newsroom.intel.com