Ummm, pretty sure that's not true. There is a
Youtube video with photos out there from April 2020. And of course, others
on your reddit thread showed where there are earlier photos on ebay.
My friend Bing Google can find more.
Not sure I would call that Intel's first attempt either. I note this from 2009:
Intel details first CPU with integrated GPU. From what I can find, this is about the same time as the Auburndale. If it got to the prototype/engineering stage of development too, I suspect there were even earlier attempts. I seem to remember discussing integrated processors years before then but my aging memory may be a little fuzzy there. I just seem to remember discussing this with a couple specific colleagues with whom I worked with around 2004 - 2005. But again, not sure of my timing there.
I would not call it a pity it will never see power or hit the market. Intel wisely pursues multiple lines of research and development simultaneously. And when one line of pursuit clearly shows promise over the other(s), they drop R&D on those that don't show as much promise.
Plus, IMO, having a discrete CPU and discrete GPU on the same substrate is not technically an "integrated" processor - at least not as it is known today where they are both on the same die.
BUT - if your point is to illustrate to those interested in the history of microprocessors an important step in the evolution of integrated graphics, then for me, it was a nice walk down memory lane.