Raja Koduri is one of the big names in PC hardware. It was great news when he first joined Intel in 2017 to help Intel's burgeoning graphics division (opens in new tab). What a surprise. But now he has announced that he is parting ways with Intel and launching his own AI software startup.

Koduri (open in new tab) was executive vice president at Intel, in charge of the company's growing graphics division, where he was also general manager. He also served as Intel's chief architect for a time, a testament to how much Intel trusted Koduri's technical know-how.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced Koduri's departure on Twitter (open in new tab) and also announced Koduri's intention to start a new software company.

The startup will focus on generative AI for games, among other things, and will be of interest to us PC gamers; Koduri said he will have more to share in the coming weeks.

On Intel's part, we are wondering how Koduri's departure will affect the company. This is because these senior engineering figures often work on projects that are out of the public eye, and it is not easy to know exactly what pie they were dipping their fingers into and when. But this would certainly shake up the structure of the organization.

Koduri's departure also coincides with another major shakeup at Intel. Dr. Randhir Thakur, who led Intel's manufacturing division, has left the company, and Stuart Pang will take over Intel's Foundry Services division. Penn will be responsible for ensuring that Intel's chip manufacturing facilities adhere to an aggressive roadmap for the coming years and will oversee new facilities in the U.S. and Europe that the company is promoting.