Intel-Mobileye tech in 2M BMWs, VWs, Nissans will crowdsource maps for autonomy

The world's largest chipmaker bought Israeli firm Mobileye last year to compete with peers such as Qualcomm and Nvidia Corp and tap the fast-growing market of driverless cars, filled with a complex tangle of alliances. (VW, for example, is also working with Nvidia.)

Krzanich was the keynote speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show. He said data from Mobileye's Road Experience Management software would gather data to build and update scalable high-definition maps.

He also announced that Intel would be working with Ferrari on AI drones to cover Ferrari Challenge North America Series racing. The drones would provide video of the races, but ultimately they would provide drivers with data — video that would let them see their racing performance from overhead, but also telemetry information about, say, how they enter and exit a turn.

Intel will also tie up with SAIC Motor Corp, which will use Mobileye technology to develop Level 3, 4 and 5 autonomous cars in China, the chipmaker said.

Krzanich also said Intel had not received any information of customer data being compromised so far after the company confirmed last week that security issues reported by researchers in its widely used microprocessors could allow hackers to steal sensitive information from computers, phones and other devices.

Security researchers had disclosed two security flaws exposing vulnerability of nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and ARM Holdings.