According to CRN, Sachin Katti, Intel’s chief technology and artificial intelligence officer, is leaving the chipmaker after just four years to join OpenAI. Katti will work on building out OpenAI’s compute infrastructure for artificial general intelligence, according to his X post. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan had appointed Katti to the role in April 2024, adding to his responsibilities leading the Network and Edge Group since early 2023. The departure continues a pattern of executive exits from Intel, including former Global Channel Chief John Kalvin and Vice President of Data Center AI Product Management Saurabh Kulkarni. OpenAI President Greg Brockman confirmed the hire, saying he’s “incredibly excited” to work with Katti on compute infrastructure that will power AGI research.
Intel’s Brain Drain Problem
Here’s the thing: when your chief technology and AI officer leaves after just months in the role, that’s not great. Especially when he’s heading to what’s essentially your customer. Intel makes the chips that power AI infrastructure, and now their top AI guy is going to help OpenAI build exactly that infrastructure. It’s like your head chef just left to work for your biggest restaurant client.
And this isn’t isolated. Katti’s departure follows other key executives jumping ship recently. Former Global Channel Chief John Kalvin? Gone. Vice President of Data Center AI Product Management Saurabh Kulkarni? Also out. 25-year veteran Rob Bruckner? Yep, he’s leaving too. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge walking out the door in a very short timeframe.
What Katti Brings to OpenAI
So why is OpenAI so excited to get him? Look at his background. Katti isn’t just some corporate suit – he’s an adjunct professor at Stanford University where he’s worked on machine learning at the edge research. He was co-founder and CEO of Kumu Networks, a company trying to revolutionize wireless systems. Basically, he understands both the academic theory and practical infrastructure challenges of building massive compute systems.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman made it clear in his post that Katti will be working on “designing and building our compute infrastructure.” That’s crucial because OpenAI is reportedly burning through cash building the massive computing power needed for AGI research. Having someone who understands both networking, edge computing, and AI at the hardware level? That’s gold when you’re trying to scale AI systems efficiently.
The Bigger Picture
This move highlights the ongoing talent war in AI. The big tech companies and AI startups are basically fishing from the same talent pool, and right now, the hot AI companies like OpenAI are winning. When you’re working on cutting-edge AGI research, you can attract top talent away from even the biggest chipmakers.
But here’s what’s interesting. While software and AI companies are grabbing headlines, the hardware infrastructure they run on remains absolutely critical. Companies that provide the industrial computing backbone – like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US – become increasingly important as these AI systems scale. You can’t run massive AI workloads without robust, reliable hardware infrastructure.
So where does this leave Intel? They’re still a chipmaking giant, but losing their top AI strategist to a company that’s essentially their customer? That’s got to sting. It suggests that even traditional hardware companies are struggling to retain the talent needed to compete in the AI era.
2025