I don’t really see why Intel would want such a chip in home computers, where this is no network admin. Why don’t they make separate chips for home use?
There are those who believe the real purpose of the ME was remote administration from government agencies, not just local-network system admins. Its feature set includes all sorts of spy-enabling and remote-control capabilities.
One has to wonder why it was kept such a low-profile "feature" for so long?
Originally the management stuff was limited to the more expensive vPro and Xeon processors that targeted business environments (IIRC) to allow remote install of the OS and remote console and BIOS access, etc.
I’m suprised that Intel put it in processors for home and mobile use, due to the added cost for a feature they are unlikely to use or need. It’s a nontrivial addition - a separate CPU and a rather complex hidden second OS.