The TL Podcast with Check Point’s Gil Shwed: Faster growth is our biggest challenge
artificial intelligence, software, data center, enterprise, security, M&A Tiernan Ray artificial intelligence, software, data center, enterprise, security, M&A Tiernan Ray

The TL Podcast with Check Point’s Gil Shwed: Faster growth is our biggest challenge

Gil Shwed co-founded Check Point Software Technologies thirty-one years ago based on his unique understanding of how to engineer the technology of firewalls as a robust defense in a networked age. As he turns over the baton in December to NadavZafrir, a career venture capitalist, entrepreneur and manager, Shwed plans to return to his roots, reflecting deeply on today’s landscape of threats to develop the next technologies that are needed.

In a wide-ranging video edition of the podcast, Shwed reflects on how he will spend his time as Check Point’s executive chairman, the challenges to Check Point’s growth, the role of artificial intelligence in cyber-security, and the continued waves of consolidation in the industry. Below is the full transcript of the podcast.

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Can we pick winners in AI’s memory obsession?
semiconductor, DRAM, NAND, server, data center, artificial intelligence, manufacturing Tiernan Ray semiconductor, DRAM, NAND, server, data center, artificial intelligence, manufacturing Tiernan Ray

Can we pick winners in AI’s memory obsession?

The current infatuation with artificial intelligence has been fixated on the fastest processors that make AI possible, such as Nvidia’s GPU chips, and competing efforts from Advanced Micro Devices and Intel.

It’s clear, however, that the thing that will make or break AI going forward is memory, specifically, the circuits that hold the data that feeds data-hungry AI.

The speed and the energy efficiency of memory circuits such as DRAM have not kept pace with that of “logic” chips such as GPUs, leading to a disconnect: The faster the chips go, the more that memory is holding everything back.

Is that an investment opportunity? Reason dictates it should be. The problem of how to have really big, really efficient memory is one of the key challenges of the AI age. Herewith, some thoughts on how to play the memory race.

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