Rain AI, a startup focused on developing a new type of semiconductor for artificial intelligence, has made another significant hire in its hardware engineering team. Jean-Didier Allegrucci, formerly an Apple Inc. chip executive involved in the development of processors for iPhones and Macs, will now lead Rain AI's efforts to create more energy-efficient chips. This follows the recent addition of lead architect Amin Firoozshahian, who joined the startup after working at Meta Platforms Inc.

for five years. Supported by Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, and Y Combinator, Rain AI is part of a growing group of startups dedicated to revolutionizing AI hardware. The company is exploring in-memory compute, a technique inspired by the human brain, which has the potential to reduce power consumption by processing data where it is stored. While research into in-memory computing is also being conducted by industry giants like Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. , and Samsung Electronics, questions remain regarding its economic viability and environmental impact. However, developing more efficient chips is crucial for the widespread implementation of AI across various devices. Rain AI's CEO, William Passo, believes that their unique compute-in-memory technology will unleash the full potential of today's generative AI models, bringing us closer to deploying the fastest, most cost-effective, and advanced AI models. Source: Bloomberg Businessweek