Remember the good old days—like a year ago—when Intel was celebrating the creative geniuses within its own organization with a great tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign?the one: the Intel engineer (an actor) who co-invented the USB port is walking through the halls in slo-mo and everyone is begging him for autographs, swooning, clapping, and treating him like he's a rock star? Neat idea. Now those days are done. Intel, like other technology companies, is bedding down with a real rock star who can help the chip giant reach new creative heights. In this case, it's Black-Eyed Peas front-man Will.i.am, whom the CPU manufacturer just named its Director of Creative Innovation.

Clearly, Mr. Will (or is it Mr. i. Am?), can help propel Intel to new heights. Anyone who could craft a name like that is obviously an innovator with boundless creative energy. Intel says as much in the press release. To be fair, Will.i.am, like many other musicians of his generation, does use technology to create the unique sound of the Black-Eyed Peas. Does that qualify him as someone who can help Intel fashion the next generation of always-connected products and experiences? Intel certainly thinks so.

I blame Lady Gaga. The meat-dress-wearing recording artist has served as creative director at the shadow-of-its former-self Polaroid since January 2010. The collaboration did result in a number of bizarre product designs that I am almost certain no one will buy. On the other hand, the Polaroid press conference featuring Lady Gaga was one of the hottest events at CES 2011.

Intel, of course, is the dominant chip manufacturer of our generation. So I wonder why it thinks it needs Will.i.am. On the other hand, isn't Intel so much hipper now that Will.I.Am is an official Intel ambassador?

Perhaps Microsoft should land, say, singer Katy Perry. They did use her at the recent Windows Phone 7 launch party, but no one at Microsoft seems particularly interested in hiring her for product design. Maybe actor Ashton Kutcher wants a job there. At least the guy has run other technology businesses. Other options include comedian Jim Carrey. He could make every any tech product funnier—I mean purposely funnier. "Jersey Shore's" Snooki could bring her own brand of crass to an enterprising technology brand: if you can blend spray tans, bar brawls, and profanity with a cutting-edge mobile gadget, you might really have something.

I mean no offense to Will.i.am. I'm sure he's as into technology as the next person and maybe is a bit of a geek himself—he does, after all, sometimes wear metal headgear, and he's certainly talking the talk. "Nearly everything I do involves processors and computers, and when I see an Intel chip I think of all the creative minds involved that help to amplify my own creativity," he said. But this gifted musician is not a technologist. He hasn't written extensively on the topic or on the intersection of design, technology, and connectivity. This is a stunt and not a very good one at that.

In short, this is not progress and it worries me that Intel thinks it is. Yes, there will be cool commercials featuring Will.i.am; even music written specifically for Intel (kill me now). All of it will be quite entertaining, but essentially pointless.

When the first Will.i.am-influenced products roll out next year, they will not be awe-inspiring or even sensible. They probably will demonstrate William's own peculiar sensibilities and that should make them entertaining, but they will not move forward the discussion about how technology fits in with and permeates our lives.

It's a little sad that Intel, which had been celebrating its own internal genius, is now using someone who, though a musical prodigy, is unlikely to beat the guy who invented the USB at a game of chess.