Intel’s $1 Billion “Oops” with OpenAI: Seriously, What Were They Thinking?

[Kyle23]

Hey folks,

So, I stumbled across this wild story, and I just had to share it here. Turns out, Intel could’ve bought a 15% stake in OpenAI for just $1 billion back in 2017-2018. You know, before ChatGPT and all this AI stuff blew up. But guess what? Their CEO at the time, Bob Swan, decided to pass on it because he didn’t think generative AI would be ready for the market anytime soon. Like, seriously?

I mean, hindsight is 20/20, right? But still… OpenAI is now worth about $80 billion. That $1 billion investment would have turned into around $12 billion today. Plus, Intel could have been a major player in the AI game right now instead of trying to catch up.

It’s not like this is Intel’s first big miss, either. Remember when they passed on making chips for the iPhone? Yeah, that happened. It just seems like they keep missing these massive opportunities that could have kept them at the top.

Now, OpenAI is burning through cash like crazy—apparently up to a million bucks a day just to keep ChatGPT running. But even with that, they’re still seen as a leader in AI. Meanwhile, Intel’s been struggling with competition from AMD and Nvidia, and it’s like, what could’ve been if they just took the leap with OpenAI?

Honestly, this whole thing makes me wonder how much of this was just a bad call versus Intel being too scared to take risks. I get that it’s easy to look back and point fingers, but man, this seems like a huge missed opportunity.

What do you all think? Was Intel right to be cautious, or did they totally blow it by not jumping on this?

Reports say Intel could have bought a $1 billion chunk of OpenAI seven years ago but its then-CEO thought it wouldn't pay off

I too, struggle with long-range planning. Just as well I'm not a CEO.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Jenna6780]

Intel’s decision to pass on OpenAI is probably one of the biggest “what if” scenarios in tech history. It’s like they were sitting on a goldmine but didn’t realize it. With AI rapidly becoming the next big thing, you’d think they would’ve seen the potential. I’m curious if this decision was driven by internal politics or just a lack of foresight. Either way, it’s a massive missed opportunity. Now that AI is booming, Intel must be kicking themselves, watching Nvidia and others reap the benefits.

 

[Brian5678]

I can’t help but think Intel’s missed opportunity with OpenAI is a sign of bigger problems within the company. It feels like they’ve been struggling to innovate for a while now, and this just highlights that.

When you’re a tech giant, you have to be on top of emerging trends, and AI was clearly the next big thing. Instead of seizing the moment, they let it slip through their fingers. It’s a bit concerning, especially for those of us who’ve relied on Intel’s products for years.

 

[Ethan67]

Wow, a billion-dollar mistake? That’s gotta hurt!

 

[Ryan23]

It’s a huge embarrassment for Intel, no doubt. But what’s more interesting is how this will affect their strategy moving forward. Are they going to double down on AI now, or will they stick to their core business and hope for the best?