AMD has agreed to open source the firmware for its Radeon GPUs. This means the community can quickly improve AI frameworks and potentially AMD adoption.

AMD unveiled its latest AI processors, including the MI325X accelerator due in Q4 2024, at the Computex trade show. It also detailed plans to compete with Nvidia by releasing new AI chips annually. The MI350 series, expected in 2025, promises a 35-fold performance increase in inference compared to the MI300 series. The MI400 series is set for a 2026 release.

AMD has agreed to buy ZT Systems, an artificial intelligence infrastructure group, for $4.9 billion in cash and stocks. The acquisition will help AMD accelerate the adoption of its AI data center chips, which compete with Nvidia's popular GPUs. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. It is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

Nvidia's new Blackwell chip demonstrated top per GPU performance in MLPerf's LLM Q&A benchmark, showcasing significant advancements with its 4-bit floating-point precision. However, competitors like Untether AI and AMD also showed promising results, particularly in energy efficiency. Untether AI's speedAI240 chip, for instance, excelled in the edge-closed category, highlighting diverse strengths across new AI inference hardware.

AMD announced at IFA 2024 that it will unify its RDNA and CDNA architectures into a combined UDNA microarchitecture, aiming to better compete with Nvidia's CUDA ecosystem. This strategic move seeks to streamline development and bolster AMD's position in AI and HPC markets. The transition to UDNA is a pivotal step, with full-scale implementation expected beyond the upcoming RDNA 4 generation.

The Vultr Cloud Alliance has formed a significant partnership with AMD to enhance high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities. This collaboration integrates AMD's advanced Instinct™ MI300X GPU accelerators with Vultr's expansive global cloud infrastructure, creating a powerful solution tailored for enterprises across various industries. AMD is recognized as a leader in high-performance computing, providing the MI300X GPUs and the ROCm™ open software ecosystem. The MI300X GPU is designed for high processing power and substantial memory capacity, making it particularly effective for complex AI models and demanding HPC workloads. The ROCm™ software ecosystem supports major AI frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow, facilitating flexibility and rapid development for users. The integration of AMD's technology with Vultr's infrastructure allows businesses to accelerate performance, streamline operations, and reduce costs. This partnership emphasizes a composable and flexible approach to cloud solutions, enabling enterprises of all sizes to access high-performance computing and AI capabilities without the constraints of vendor lock-in. This accessibility is crucial for democratizing AI and inference, allowing even smaller enterprises to utilize advanced technologies that were previously unattainable. The collaboration also addresses the needs of various industries, including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, energy, media, retail, and telecommunications. By combining AMD's powerful GPUs and ROCm™ software with Vultr's scalable cloud services, businesses can tackle common challenges such as computational power, data management, and regulatory compliance. Customized solutions are provided to enhance performance and efficiency, tailored to the specific requirements of different sectors. With AMD's involvement in the Vultr Cloud Alliance Program, enterprises can leverage a unique combination of high-performance GPUs, open software, and flexible cloud infrastructure. This partnership aims to drive innovation, reduce costs, and make advanced AI and HPC solutions accessible to a broader range of businesses. Organizations are encouraged to explore the potential of this collaboration and consider how it can shape the future of cloud computing. For those interested in getting started, further information is available on the Vultr website, or potential users can reach out to the sales team for assistance.