Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Is Impressed By Photonic Quantum Computing – Says He Now Leans on AI Agents to Do His “Homework”

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan believes that for quantum computing to be viable, companies have to address market areas with actual demand. The executive discussed quantum computing and how he uses artificial intelligence, among other topics, in the QuantumJane podcast, where he revealed that he had actually invested in quantum computing companies with his own funds instead of the funds of a venture capital firm that he ran.

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Tan started the discussion by outlining how he has come to rely on agentic AI. The Intel CEO has been quite optimistic about agentic AI, and in the firm's earnings calls, has been hopeful about its ability to spur demand for CPUs in the ongoing buildout of AI infrastructure. When asked how he uses AI, Tan outlined that while he can't recall how many AI agents he uses, he nevertheless relies on them to "do all the homework."

Then, the first thing in the morning he does is to look at the agents' progress. Calling agents "amazing," the Intel CEO added that it helps him reduce the number of assistants needed to do his research.

As opposed to 'traditional' AI, which typically refers to large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Grok, agentic AI relies on autonomous decision-making to set goals and execute actions. These models are quite pricey, with SpaceXAI's Grok Bot available as part of bundles costing up to $300 per month.