(Reuters) -Intel ( INTC ) is making a renewed push to secure a spot in the fast-growing AI chip race with its upcoming data center graphics processing unit, code-named Crescent Island, slated for customer sampling in the second half of 2026.

It marks the chipmaker's second attempt in the AI accelerator arena after its earlier Gaudi chips failed to gain traction against market leaders Nvidia ( NVDA ) and AMD.

Yet, Intel's ( INTC ) GPU roadmap trails behind competitors, highlighting the steep climb it faces to establish itself as a serious contender in AI computing.

Since the generative AI boom with the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022, startups and large cloud operators have rushed to grab GPUs that help run AI workloads on data center servers.