AMD is boldly repositioning itself in the fiercely competitive AI landscape, notably against its long-time rival Nvidia. The chip designer has unveiled plans to accelerate the development of its Instinct data centre GPUs, with the upcoming MI400 being a focal point of this strategy. Scheduled for an announcement at the Advancing AI 2025 event next Thursday, AMD’s trajectory has been significantly bolstered through a series of strategic acquisitions that the company has undertaken over the past three years.

CEO Lisa Su reported strong early feedback on the MI400, suggesting it represents a major advancement in AMD’s Instinct roadmap. This, she noted during last month’s earnings call, has prompted an expansion of AMD’s AI accelerator total addressable market as customers increasingly look to integrate a broader range of Instinct products into their AI infrastructure.

In recent years, Nvidia has gained a competitive edge, largely driven by the rise of generative AI solutions that have seen its data centre business soar. Acknowledging this, Forrest Norrod, head of AMD’s data centre solutions unit, observed that Nvidia’s decision to expedite its GPU roadmap appears to be a direct response to the intensifying competition, particularly from AMD. In response, AMD has announced its own ambitious timeline, with the MI325X set for launch in 2024 and subsequent models, like the MI350, moving into production soon.

Notably, AMD’s strategy to enhance its AI capabilities is underscored by its acquisition spree, which started with software firms such as Mipsology and Nod.ai in 2023, followed by significant purchases like the AI lab Silo AI and data centre infrastructure provider ZT Systems last year. The recent acquisition of Enosemi, a startup specialising in silicon photonics technology, is particularly strategic, allowing AMD to compete with Nvidia in light-based interconnect technology which promises greater speed and efficiency in data processing.

The $4.9 billion acquisition of ZT Systems marks one of AMD’s largest moves. This New Jersey-based firm provides custom computing infrastructure for leading AI hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon. Expected to close in early 2025, this acquisition is set to enhance AMD’s existing capabilities in AI infrastructure and further solidify its position in a market that is rapidly growing.

AMD’s broader acquisitions, including those of Xilinx and Pensando in 2022, have allowed the company to tap into new product offerings and market opportunities. Each of these strategic decisions highlights AMD’s commitment to developing a comprehensive suite of products to compete not just with Nvidia, but across the evolving AI landscape.

As the countdown to the Advancing AI 2025 event continues, the industry watches closely, eager to see how AMD’s expanded capabilities will alter the competitive landscape and whether the company can reclaim lost ground in the burgeoning AI arena.

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Source: Noah Wire Services