Intel AI Playground debuts open-source AI tools

On Monday, the initial public version of Intel AI Playground is introduced. It’s a cutting-edge AI productivity suite that was prominently featured at their 2024 Computex exhibition.

What is Intel AI Playground?

AI Playground represents a sophisticated suite of generative AI applications and an integrated chatbot, meticulously crafted to exploit the capabilities of Intel Arc discrete GPUs boasting a minimum of 8 GB of video memory. These utilities, constructed within the OpenVINO framework, capitalize on the advanced XMX cores inherent in the Arc A-series GPUs.

Open-source tools available

The suite is compatible exclusively with three GPU models from the Arc lineup—the A770, A750, and A580—and their corresponding mobile versions, all of which meet the 8 GB memory threshold. Intel is actively developing a variant of AI Playground tailored for the Intel Core Ultra-H series processors, which will synergize the NPU and the integrated GPU to enhance computational performance. Notably, AI Playground is an open-source initiative, underscoring Intel’s commitment to accessibility and user-centric design. The suite features a streamlined installer that autonomously handles the installation of all requisite software dependencies, ensuring a seamless setup experience for users.

Among the suite’s array of tools, the image generative AI stands out, capable of transforming textual prompts into standard or high-definition images. This functionality is underpinned by Stable Diffusion, augmented by the DreamShaper 8 and Juggernaut XL models. The suite further supports Phi3, LCM LoRA, and LCM LoRA SDXL, all optimized for the Arc “Alchemist” GPUs to deliver accelerated performance. Additionally, the AI image enhancement utility offers advanced capabilities such as upscaling, detail reconstruction, styling, inpainting and outpainting, and various forms of image manipulation. Complementing these tools is a text-based AI chatbot, compatible with a wide range of popular large language models (LLMs), thereby providing comprehensive AI-driven solutions within a single, cohesive suite.

Intel AI Playground offers a robust array of features designed to cater to both novice and advanced users (Image credit) Features of Intel AI Playground

Intel AI Playground offers a robust array of features designed to cater to both novice and advanced users, with the power of Intel Arc GPUs to deliver exceptional AI-driven capabilities.

• Transform text into visually captivating images in either Standard Resolution or High Definition, or opt for Manual mode to explore alternative models and advanced settings. Users can fine-tune the quality and toggle to Fast mode to expedite the image creation process, significantly reducing rendering time.
• Elevate your imagery with the Enhance feature, which allows for upscaling with or without variation. This tool enables users to stylize images, perform inpainting and outpainting, and apply enhancements to both newly created images and existing files from their personal computers.
• Gain access to a personalized AI chatbot capable of providing answers to general knowledge queries, offering coding assistance, and summarizing or extracting details from text files on your device. This versatile tool serves as a reliable digital assistant for a variety of tasks.
• AI Playground serves as an ideal starting point for those looking to explore AI technology using Intel Arc GPUs. Join the community to share tips and techniques, benefit from video tutorials, and progress to more specialized AI tools as you advance in your AI journey.

Intel showcased some of AI Playground’s features in a YouTube video:

They also showed how to install Stable Diffusion models:

How to install Intel AI Playground?

To install Intel AI Playground, follow these steps:

1. Visit the official Intel AI Playground repository on GitHub by navigating to https://github.com/intel/ai-playground.
2. Open your terminal or command prompt and clone the repository to your local machine using the command to clone the repository.
3. Change your working directory to the newly cloned repository by navigating to the “ai-playground” directory.
4. Ensure you have Python installed on your system. Then, install the required dependencies using pip, following the instructions in the “requirements.txt” file.
5. Execute the installation script to set up Intel AI Playground and its dependencies by running the appropriate installation command.
6. Once the installation is complete, start Intel AI Playground by running the application script.
7. For further support and community interaction, visit the community section on the GitHub page or join the forums to connect with other users, share tips, and get support.

You can also join Intel Insiders Discord channel for more official information.

Featured image credit: Brecht Corbeel/Unsplash