By Stephen Nellis
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gloo, a Boulder, Colorado-based firm that offers technology tools to Christian churches and other faith groups, said on Monday that Pat Gelsinger is joining the firm as its head of technology and executive chairman, where he will help the group develop AI tools such as virtual assistants and chatbots.
Gelsinger is the former CEO of both chipmaker Intel and Broadcom-owned VMware. Gelsinger left Intel last year after a clash with its board over his turnaround plans.
Gelsinger's job at Gloo will be his first operational role since leaving Intel. Gelsinger, a lifelong Christian who has helmed a group in the San Francisco Bay area working to expand church membership in the area for more than decade, previously served on Gloo's board as non-executive chairman since 2018.
Founded in 2013, Gloo last year raised $110 million in growth financing for an AI push. It is developing chatbots with a "safe search" option and answers grounded in the Christian Bible.
Gelsinger will oversee Gloo's product and engineering efforts.
“Technology has the power to connect, uplift and transform lives — but only when built with purpose,” Gelsinger said in a statement.
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)