Intel Corp has changed its mind about neural networks, and has decided it doesn’t want to be in the business: accordingly, it has renegotiated its agreement with Providence, Rhode Island-based neural networking technology specialist Nestor Inc and Nestor now has sole rights to the Ni1000 chip that was developed jointly by the two and is fabricated by Intel. The Ni1000 neural network processor integrates 1,024 artificial neurons and is claimed to replicate the pattern recognition capabilities of the brain (CI No 2,291). Commenting on the switch, David Fox, president of Nestor told Dow Jones & Co that the new agreement gives Nestor the opportunity to try to exploit a market that it thinks can grow to be large, where the alternative had been either to compete with Intel in selling the chip or just receive royalties on chips Intel sold. Intel will continue to fabricate the chips, which will be available this summer at between $500 and $1,000 apiece. Nestor has been developing neural network technology for 19 years but hasn’t ever been profitable, but it sees the new Ni1000 Recognition Accelerator chip as its opportunity to evolve from a research and development company into a product company – although it has a NestorWriter handwriting recognition program and uses the technology in a $2,500 program used for recognising information in facsimile messages and medical and insurance claims forms and other hand-printed forms. Nestor is seeking to raise several million dollars of additional capital to pay for the marketing of the chip, and it sees profits soon.
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