Intel's CEO is stepping down as the stalwart American chipmaker has struggled to keep pace with the artificial intelligence revolution. The company announced that Pat Gelsinger, who'd led Intel since 2021 and logged more than 30 years in various positions with the chipmaker, had retired from the company effective Sunday.

Gelsinger spent most of his career at Intel, rising to chief technology officer before leaving to run VMWare in 2012 and then returning as CEO in 2021. He was generally well respected by Wall Street and industry insiders, but on his watch, the stock underperformed the market as Intel lost ground in the AI race to Nvidia.

Intel stock dropped 6% on Tuesday as investors reacted to the CEO's departure. Wall Street analysts say there's more uncertainty ahead for the chip maker.