Key facts
- AMD launched its Helios AI rack system to compete with Nvidia in the data center chip market.
- The Helios system is designed for training and running large-scale AI models.
- Customers for the Helios system include Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, Oracle, and Anthropic.
- AMD also introduced the Venice-X CPU for data centers, expected in 2027.
- AMD will supply up to two gigawatts of Instinct MI450 chips to Anthropic.
- OpenAI has a multiyear deal with AMD, including an option to acquire 10% of the chipmaker.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has launched its Helios rack-scale system, a new suite of artificial intelligence hardware designed to directly challenge Nvidia's dominance in the rapidly expanding data center chip market. Unveiled at the company's Advancing AI conference in San Francisco, the Helios system is positioned as the tech industry's highest performance AI rack, built to train and run the most demanding frontier models at massive scale.
AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su promoted the new system, highlighting its growing list of customers, including Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, Oracle, and Anthropic, with shipments expected later this year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated the company would expand its Azure infrastructure with Helios, while Anthropic announced a strategic partnership to deploy up to two gigawatts of GPUs via the new rack system.
AMD also introduced its Venice-X CPU for data centers, designed for high-computing workloads and expected to launch in 2027. Su emphasized the significant growth in compute demand driven by agentic AI, projecting the AI accelerator market to reach approximately $1.4 trillion by 2030, with GPUs making up the majority of that market.
The Helios system aims to compete with Nvidia's established rack-scale systems like Vera Rubin and Grace Blackwell. Performance metrics for Helios reportedly surpass those of Vera Rubin, according to The Register. AMD's strategy includes securing major clients and focusing on inference computing, which is crucial for AI chatbots.