TLDR: Saurabh Kulkarni, Intel’s Vice President of Data Center AI Product Management, is reportedly departing the company to join rival AMD. This move comes as AMD gains significant traction in the data center AI market, securing major clients like OpenAI, while Intel navigates a period of restructuring and leadership changes in its AI division.
Saurabh Kulkarni, a prominent figure in Intel’s data center artificial intelligence division, is reportedly leaving the chipmaker to join competitor AMD. Kulkarni, who served as Vice President of Data Center AI Product Management at Intel, is expected to have his last day at the company on Friday, November 7, 2025. While AMD has declined to comment on Kulkarni’s reported move, sources familiar with the situation indicate his transition to the rival firm.
Intel has confirmed Kulkarni’s impending departure. An Intel spokesperson stated that Anil Nanduri, Vice President of AI go-to-market, will assume leadership of the AI product management organization. The company expressed gratitude for Kulkarni’s contributions and wished him well, affirming that the team remains focused on execution and delivering for customers.
Kulkarni spent just over two years at Intel, where he played a crucial role in the company’s Gaudi accelerator chip initiatives. He was responsible for the AI systems and GPU product management team under Sachin Katti, Intel’s Chief Technology and AI Officer. His LinkedIn profile highlights his leadership in ‘cross-functional product management across systems, software and silicon design,‘ aimed at accelerating the data center AI product roadmap. He also contributed to defining Intel’s AI systems strategy, including advancements in silicon photonics interconnects for enhanced GPU scalability in large-scale data center deployments.
This executive shift occurs at a critical juncture in the competitive landscape of data center AI. AMD has been rapidly advancing, challenging Nvidia’s dominance and outpacing Intel in this sector. AMD’s robust data center AI strategy has led to significant wins, including securing OpenAI as a major customer and attracting considerable interest from other leading technology companies. AMD CEO Lisa Su recently reiterated the company’s projection to achieve tens of billions in annual revenue from its Instinct GPU business by 2027.
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Conversely, Intel has faced challenges, including weaker-than-expected revenue from its Gaudi accelerators and a broader restructuring effort that has impacted approximately 15% of its core workforce. The company has also experienced other high-profile departures this year, such as Justin Hotard, former head of its Data Center and AI (DCAI) division, who left to become Nokia’s new CEO. Several long-standing Intel engineers have also departed as the company endeavors to recruit new external talent to bolster its AI leadership.
