Comment Re:Seems far-fetched (Score 1) 70
That's how computer architecture always advances. There was a time when computers didn't have FPUs. There was a time when they didn't have vector units. There was a time when they didn't have GPUs. New types of processing units get added to do useful things. For a little while it's a selling point: you want a computer with the new kind of processing unit, not one without it. Then it becomes a standard part of all computers and you take it for granted. You don't ask, "Does this computer have a GPU?" anymore, because of course it does. You only ask, "What kind of GPU does it have?"
I would even dare say the entire concept of 'NPU' is trying to steal some of nVidia's thunder.
I'd say they're all trying to solve the same problem. NVIDIA added units to make neural networks faster, because they knew it was important. So did everyone else, for the same reason.