SAN FRANCISCO –
Things could have turned out very differently for US chip giant Intel, the darling of the computer age before it fell on hard times in the age of artificial intelligence.
About seven years ago, the company had an opportunity to take a stake in OpenAI, then a fledgling nonprofit doing research in a little-known field called generative artificial intelligence, according to four people with direct knowledge of those discussions.
Over several months in 2017 and 2018, executives from the two companies discussed various options, including Intel buying a 15% stake for $1 billion in cash, three of the people said. They also discussed Intel taking an additional 15% stake in OpenAI if it made hardware for the startup at cost, two of the people said.
