CPU (central processing unit)

A CPU reads the tasks a program gives it in order, calculates, and tells other parts, such as memory, storage and the screen, what to do. It is strong at handling many different kinds of work quickly, such as documents, the internet and games.

For pouring the same calculation through all at once, a GPU is much faster, so a GPU does most of the AI calculation. Even so, the CPU prepares the data and hands out work to the GPU, so AI servers always contain CPUs too. Intel and AMD are well-known makers of PC processors, and chips based on Arm's designs are the usual choice for phones.

In a restaurant, it is the head chef who takes orders, sets the sequence, and directs the whole kitchen. Even if cutting hundreds of onions is given to someone else, the head chef decides what to do and when.

In stories about AI the GPU is the star, but without a CPU neither a server nor a phone would start. As AI servers multiply, the CPUs inside them multiply too, so who makes CPUs keeps making the news.