AMD and Intel announced a partnership to establish an x86 ecosystem advisory group to address growing competition from Arm and uncertainty surrounding AI chip demand. The collaboration aims to strengthen the x86 ecosystem, enhance its relevance, and foster broader adoption, particularly in AI-focused applications. AMD CEO Lisa Su and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger emphasized the x86 architecture’s ongoing strength. This partnership comes amid industry challenges, including weaker chip demand, which was reflected in ASML’s disappointing sales forecasts and affected the stock prices of AMD, Nvidia, and Intel.
AMD and Intel have announced a partnership to establish an x86 ecosystem advisory group. The group will address growing challenges from Arm and uncertainties about AI chip demand. The collaboration was highlighted at Lenovo’s annual Tech World event, where AMD CEO Lisa Su and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger shared the stage.
The x86 architecture, initially developed by Intel, has been a mainstay in processors for data centers and personal computers. However, it now faces increasing competition from Arm, whose architecture has gained traction in various sectors—and where Arm goes, RISC-V is soon to follow.
By forming this advisory group, AMD and Intel seek to strengthen the x86 ecosystem and enhance its relevance in the evolving landscape, particularly as AI technologies continue to advance.
The two companies have been significant players in the AI chip sector, though Nvidia has emerged as a dominant force since the generative AI boom began in 2022. Nvidia’s high-performance chips have been essential for training and deploying AI models, helping the company capture a substantial portion of the market. Despite this growth, many industry experts have started questioning how long the surge in AI demand will last, as numerous tech companies still face challenges in monetizing AI solutions.
Addressing concerns about the future of x86, Gelsinger emphasized the ongoing strength of the architecture. He stated at the event, “Rumors of my death are severely exaggerated. We are alive and well, and the x86 is thriving.” Su echoed that sentiment, underscoring the significance of the collaboration, noting that their agreement signifies a unique moment in the technology industry. The partnership aims to foster the broader adoption of x86, particularly in AI-focused applications.
The advisory group will work on expanding the x86 ecosystem by enhancing compatibility across different platforms, streamlining software development, and providing developers with a unified platform. This will help identify the architectural features needed for emerging AI workloads, ensuring the architecture remains competitive.
In this initiative, key companies joining AMD and Intel include Broadcom, Dell, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP Inc., Lenovo, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat. These founding members will collaborate to support the x86 architecture’s adaptation to AI-driven technological shifts.
The announcement comes amid broader industry challenges, as ASML, a leading supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, released disappointing sales forecasts, reflecting weaker demand for chips. This news affected stock prices, with AMD, Nvidia, and Intel experiencing declines of more than 5%, 4.5%, and 3.3%, respectively.