AMD CEO talks competition with Nvidia: ‘there’s no one size fits all in computing’

When CNBC's Jim Cramer asked AMD CEO Lisa Su about competition with artificial intelligence powerhouse Nvidia, she said there is room for more than one major player in the red-hot semiconductor industry.
"The way to think about it is, there's no one size fits all in computing," she said. "There's no, you know, only one architecture. Actually, you're going to need the right compute for each application."

When CNBC's Jim Cramer asked AMD CEO Lisa Su about competition with artificial intelligence powerhouse Nvidia, she said there was room for more than one major player in the red-hot semiconductor industry.

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"The way to think about it is, there's no one size fits all in computing," she said. "There's no, you know, only one architecture. Actually, you're going to need the right compute for each application."

Both AMD and Nvidia design semiconductor chips essential for the new generative AI technology everyone in the enterprise is clamoring for. While the latter currently dominates the market, competition is stiff, with rivals like AMD and Intel vying for Big Tech customer with the deepest pockets.

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To Su, the "technology ecosystem" works well when there's competition and partnership, saying there should be areas where rivals work together and where they compete. But she said that, for the most part, customers want to be able to choose from different good options.

Su also discussed the future of AI, saying the world is just beginning to recognize what AI can do. In a decade, she said, people won't be asking about what the ROI for AI is. Instead, she said, it will be a major part of life, from the business sector to education to healthcare. She also said she expects the computing market for AI accelerators — technology that speeds up AI and machine learnings programs — to reach $400 billion by 2027.

"I really believe that AI will impact everyone's lives. It's just starting today," Su said. "So, you know, let's not be impatient, right. Tech trends are meant to play out over years, not over months."