Fresh out of college in 2002, Jason Dai embarked on a journey with Intel, where he was offered invaluable opportunities to work on several hardcore technologies. This propelled him to the role of Principal Engineer within a decade. When he rekindled his association with Intel upon rejoining in 2014, he found himself at the helm of global technology leadership in big data analytics and AI. He led engineering teams across Shanghai and Silicon Valley, collaborating closely with developers and users in China and worldwide and delivering ground-breaking technologies. This extraordinary voyage ultimately culminated in Jason’s well-deserved recognition as an Intel Fellow in 2021. Read on as we learn more about this brilliant mind shaping the future of technology in China.
On a Mission to Expand AI Potential
Generative AI (GenAI) is at the epicenter of innovation, and Intel is at the forefront of it with the mission of “Bringing AI Everywhere.” Jason leads this initiative by pioneering software innovations that unlock the computing power of XPU hardware from CPU to GPU. By integrating these components, Jason’s work is poised to revolutionize AI, forming the bedrock for the ongoing wave of GenAI. Large language models can be created through this, empowering AI to generate human-like text and AI-generated content (AIGC) spanning videos, music, and images.
Jason was part of the core engineering team at Intel China to realize the vision of AI that delivered critical compute optimizations for XPU, spanning from CPU to GPU and the future GPU architecture code-named Falcon Shores. Their efforts extend to integrating these technologies into leading open-source projects such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Apache Spark, Ray, Triton, etc., and building innovative GenAI technologies to support Large Language Model (LLM) and AIGC like open-sourced bigdl-llm, a low-bit LLM library for XPU.
China’s Tech Innovators Paving the Path for Intel’s Global Roadmap
At the heart of Intel’s relentless pursuit of technological excellence lies Jason and Intel’s powerhouse teams in China, spearheading the delivery of cutting-edge innovations to the global market. They deliver hardcore technologies for Intel® products, including AI, Big Data, cloud-native solutions, virtualization, Linux kernel, compiler, and many more. In a world where technological boundaries are constantly pushed, China’s incredible talent pool has played a significant role in charting Intel’s global roadmap, subsequently influencing the broader software trajectory.
The team’s collaboration with industry giants like Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, ByteDance, Ant Group, and others showcases their commitment to delivering technologies that shape the digital future. But it doesn't end there; they also champion open innovation, forging partnerships with the developer and open-source communities such as OpenAnolis, openEuler, OpenAtom, and leading universities, thereby fostering a collaborative ecosystem that pushes the boundaries of technological innovation.
Nurturing Future Innovators
Delving into the talent pool in China, Jason highlights, "China has no shortage of talented engineers as there is a wealth of highly skilled engineers excelling in computer science.” Their expertise spans various areas, encompassing data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, operating systems, compiler technology, parallel computing, distributed systems, and machine learning—a pivotal domain of AI development.
But even with the abundance of talent in China, their quest for suitable candidates is an ongoing journey for recruiters, and identifying the right skill remains a constant challenge. Addressing this concern, Jason offers a compelling solution to the young talent in China, guiding them on how to stand out and become part of tech innovations. “It will be a game-changer for college students to get hands-on experience with open-source projects like PyTorch, TensorFlow, Apache Spark, Ray, and BigDL. These projects provide an invaluable opportunity to immerse oneself in real-world applications and collaborative software development, which are highly sought-after AI and software industry skills.”
Extending Intel’s Innovation Beyond its Boundaries
Outside the realm of Intel, Jason dedicates his time to collaborating with the open-source community, contributing to projects like Apache Spark as a member of the project management committee, mentoring in Apache MXNet, and holding membership in the esteemed Apache Software Foundation. His active engagement in the open-source world underscores his passion for fostering collaborative innovation and knowledge sharing, shaping the software landscape.
Moreover, Jason extends his commitment to educational programs in science and AI. He is a guest professor at East China Normal University (ECNU) and also dedicates time to mentoring K-12 students through initiatives such as Intel Digital Readiness for Youth. Jason highly values the work-life balance he enjoys at Intel, which enables him to pursue personal development and community engagement.
Beyond the professional and open-source arenas, Jason finds joy in spending time with his sons. Together, they embark on journeys into the realms of mathematics and programming.
Two Decades of Shaping the Future
Reflecting on his journey, Jason shares advice for early career talents, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities to work on hardcore technologies. He urges young people to take inspiration from his own career journey. His initial years at Intel were marked by hands-on experience with various technologies, spanning compilers, parallel computing, distributed computing, and Big Data in the early years of joining Intel. This exposure empowered him to tackle some of the most challenging technology problems, contributing to industry-leading projects such as Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark. After rejoining Intel in 2014, he continued to push boundaries, delivering ground-breaking technologies such as BigDL for Big Data AI, PPML for privacy-preserving machine learning, and bigDL-llm for low-bit Large Language Model (LLM) computing.
As Jason puts it, “Intel provides great opportunities for technologists to learn, to innovate, and to lead. These opportunities are invaluable for professional and personal growth, enabling us to grow and to build something impactful.”
Intel is looking for talents to join forces with visionaries like Jason Dai and his team, charting the course for Intel’s digital future in China. We invite talented individuals specializing in AI, Big Data, Cloud, etc. Explore more about career opportunities and life at Intel.