Intel announced that its CEO Lip-Bu Tan will directly oversee the company’s artificial intelligence strategy, following the departure of Chief Technology Officer Sachin Katti to OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Katti, who had led Intel’s AI division since a major management reshuffle in January, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he joined OpenAI, where he will focus on building the company’s compute infrastructure to support artificial general intelligence (AGI) research.
Intel confirmed the move in a statement, saying: “We thank Sachin for his contributions and wish him all the best. Lip-Bu will lead the AI and Advanced Technologies Groups, working closely with the team. AI remains one of Intel’s highest strategic priorities.”
The leadership change comes at a crucial time for Intel, which is working to reposition itself in the AI chip race dominated by Nvidia and TSMC. While Intel’s CPUs are still widely used in AI server systems, the company has struggled to deliver a competitive data center AI chip to match Nvidia’s specialized silicon.
Katti joined Intel four years ago, initially heading its networking group before being promoted by then-CEO Pat Gelsinger. Under Tan, who took over in March 2025, Katti became both Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer in April, part of a broader restructuring to streamline decision-making.
Tan, a seasoned industry leader known for bold turnarounds, has been reshaping Intel’s leadership. He recently expanded Naga Chandrasekaran’s responsibilities to strengthen Intel’s foundry operations and hired Kevork Kechichian, formerly of Arm, to head its data center division.
Intel continues to emphasize AI as central to its recovery strategy amid fierce global competition.