There are those, like the folks at Tom’s Hardware, who call AI Playground from chip maker Intel (INTC) the possible future of consumer AI.
Those who want to give AI Playground may actually be able to put it to use already. You will need a laptop or desktop that runs an Intel Core Ultra 200V chip, a Core Ultra H processor, or “…any Intel Arc discrete GPU with at least eight gigabytes of VRAM.”
Those whose machines have the appropriate power can get in on the action, and access quite a few features. AI Playground can create images from a text prompt, upscale images to improve their resolution, and even answer questions. It can also summarize and translate documents.
Just In Time
Intel needs a win in the product market. Why? Because Intel has been having a rough time lately. We know that Intel’s foray into the graphics card space did not go well, and even its desktop processors are under fire from a growing base of competitors. We also learned that Intel’s foray into graphics cards has largely fizzled out with little to show for it.
A report in The Economist says it in the starkest fashion possible: “Intel Needs a Miracle.” It would be easy to see how that might be the case, and right now, the closest thing Intel has to such a miracle is its foundry operations. Intel has been trying to ramp up its chip production for some time, and if that can get off the ground, then it may really have the “miracle” some think it needs.
Is Intel a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on INTC stock based on one Buy, 26 Hold and seven Sell recommendations assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 36.13% loss in its share price over the past year, the average INTC price target of $25.47 per share implies 13.53% upside potential.
