Microsoft CTO praises AMD’s GPU offerings for AI
Microsoft’s chief technology officer Kevin Scott said that AMD is making increasingly compelling graphics processing units (GPUs) that are going to become more and more important for artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming years. Scott made the remarks at the Code conference in Dana Point, California, on Wednesday, September 28, 2023. His comments boosted AMD’s stock, which rose 5% on Thursday.
Scott said that Microsoft and AMD are longtime partners, and that the two companies have collaborated on computers, consoles and the cloud. He also hinted at the possibility of more work together in AI, but declined to confirm or deny any specific projects.
AMD announced in June that it would start sampling its MI300X chip with clients in the third quarter of 2023. The MI300X is a GPU designed specifically for AI models, and is expected to compete with Nvidia’s dominant products in the market.
Nvidia leads the AI chip market, but AMD is catching up
Nvidia is the undisputed leader in the AI chip market, with its GPUs powering most of the large language models that have emerged in recent years. Nvidia’s GPUs are so in demand that the company is forecasting 170% year-over-year revenue growth in the current quarter.
However, AMD is not far behind, and is gaining ground with its own GPU offerings. AMD’s GPUs are cheaper and more energy-efficient than Nvidia’s, and have some advantages in performance and scalability. AMD’s GPUs are also compatible with popular AI frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, making them easier to adopt by developers.
AMD’s CEO Lisa Su has been praised for her leadership and vision, and has led the company to a remarkable turnaround in the past few years. AMD has surpassed Intel in the CPU market, and is now challenging Nvidia in the GPU market. Su has also invested heavily in research and development, and has acquired several companies to enhance AMD’s capabilities in AI and cloud computing.
AI is a key growth area for both Microsoft and AMD
AI is one of the most important and lucrative fields in technology today, and both Microsoft and AMD are well-positioned to benefit from it. Microsoft is one of the leading cloud providers, offering a range of AI services and tools to its customers. Microsoft also has its own AI research division, which produces cutting-edge innovations such as GPT-3 and GitHub Copilot.
AMD, on the other hand, is one of the leading chipmakers, providing the hardware that enables AI applications to run faster and more efficiently. AMD also has its own AI software platform, called ROCm, which allows developers to create and deploy AI solutions across different devices and platforms.
By working together, Microsoft and AMD can leverage their respective strengths and create synergies that will benefit both companies and their customers. Scott said that competition is a good thing for the industry, but he also expressed his admiration for AMD’s products and potential.
