Intel quietly kills controversial 'pay as you go' chip licensing initiative — Software Defined Silicon GitHub repository was archived in November 2025, allegedly signaling the end of active development

Intel has quietly put an end to its controversial 'pay as you go' chip licensing initiative, Software Defined Silicon (SDSi), which aimed to allow customers to activate accelerators for specific workloads for a premium. The initiative, previously known as 'Intel On Demand,' has now been discontinued, with the SDSi GitHub repository being archived in November, indicating the halt of active development. The program faced criticism for requiring customers to pay to activate features that were already physically present in the processors. With the removal of documentation and lack of public discussion, it appears that Intel has abandoned the Software Defined Silicon initiative entirely.