- Intel is reportedly providing Atom CPU RTL code to a startup called RosaicLabs, a significant departure from its historical secrecy around x86 and CPU-core designs.
- A separate Linux kernel mailing list post describes x86 implementations with 16 and 32 AMX tile registers, far beyond Intel's standard eight, attributed to an unnamed corporate entity.
- The timing is problematic: RosaicLabs was incorporated in May 2026, but the post claims the 16/32-tile implementation has been running at large scale for some time, predating the company's founding.
- Speculation links RosaicLabs to the mystery x86 design due to its Rivos veteran leadership and Intel's involvement, though no direct evidence connects them.
- Other possible candidates for the mystery x86 implementation include Zhaoxin, Hygon, hyperscalers like Google or Meta, or an Intel-backed spinout, each with their own pros and cons.
- The article suggests that Intel's willingness to share Atom RTL and the emergence of custom x86 matrix extensions point to a more open and unconventional x86 ecosystem.
- The author concludes that while the two stories may be unrelated, both signal a shift in how x86 technology is being developed and licensed.