Intel launches AI‑powered “Ask Intel” assistant, replacing phone support for customers

Intel’s “Ask Intel” assistant went live on the company’s support portal on Tuesday, marking the first public rollout of a conversational AI tool built specifically for semiconductor‑industry customers. The bot, which runs on Microsoft’s low‑code Copilot Studio platform, can open service cases, verify warranty status, walk users through hardware diagnostics and, when it hits a dead end, hand the conversation off to a human technician. Intel VP Boji Tony highlighted the launch on LinkedIn, calling the system “one of the first of its kind in the semiconductor industry” (Tom’s Hardware).

The deployment is part of a broader shift away from traditional phone support. According to Tom’s Hardware, Intel has removed inbound public phone numbers in most countries and is steering customers and partners toward online case creation and community forums. The company has also discontinued direct support via several social‑media channels, consolidating all interactions on its web‑based platform. The new assistant is therefore the front line of a “digital‑first experience” that Intel says will streamline issue resolution and reduce the time customers spend waiting for a human agent.

Microsoft’s Copilot Studio underpins the assistant’s ability to pull data from internal systems and trigger workflow actions. The platform, which Intel selected for its low‑code flexibility, enables the bot to query warranty databases, update ticket status and, in future releases, automatically recommend driver updates or generate warranty claims without human intervention (Tom’s Hardware). Intel’s support page already warns users that the AI’s answers “cannot be guaranteed” and that chat logs may be retained and processed by Intel and third‑party providers under its privacy policy, with no opt‑out option.

Early feedback from Intel’s partner ecosystem appears positive. In an interview with CRN, an Intel spokesperson reported that initial performance metrics show higher satisfaction scores and faster case resolution compared to the previous quarter, though the company did not disclose exact numbers (Tom’s Hardware). The spokesperson also hinted at upcoming enhancements that will deepen integration with Intel.com and expand the assistant’s capability to identify required driver updates autonomously.

While the rollout promises efficiency gains, analysts note that the semiconductor sector has been slower than other tech verticals in adopting AI‑driven support. Intel’s move aligns with Microsoft’s broader push to embed Copilot Studio across enterprise workflows, as highlighted in a recent TechCrunch piece on Microsoft’s AI initiatives (TechCrunch). If “Ask Intel” can deliver consistent, accurate troubleshooting at scale, it could set a benchmark for other chipmakers grappling with the cost of maintaining large, multilingual support centers.