Monday, October 2nd 2023
Microsoft Tech Chief Prefers Using NVIDIA AI GPUs, Keeping Tabs on AMD Alternatives
Kevin Scott, Microsoft's chief technology officer was interviewed at last week's Code Conference (organized by Vox Media), where he was happy to reveal that his company is having an easier time acquiring Team Green's popular HPC GPU hardware: "Demand was far exceeding the supply of GPU capacity that the whole ecosystem could produce...That is resolving. It's still tight, but it's getting better every week, and we've got more good news ahead of us than bad on that front, which is great." Microsoft is investing heavily into its internal artificial intelligence endeavors and external interests alike (they are a main backer of OpenAI's ChatGPT system). Having a healthy budget certainly helps, but Scott has previously described his experience in this field as "a terrible job" spanning five years of misery (as of May 2023).
Last week's follow-up conversation on-stage in Dana Point, California revealed that conditions have improved since springtime: "It's easier now than when we talked last time." The improved supply circumstances have made his "job of adjudicating these very gnarly conflicts less terrible." Industry reports have Microsoft secretly working on proprietary AI chips with an unnamed partner—CNBC pinpointed Arm as a likely candidate—Scott acknowledged that something is happening behind-the-scenes but it will not be ready imminently: "I'm not confirming anything, but I will say that we've got a pretty substantial silicon investment that we've had for years...And the thing that we will do is we'll make sure that we're making the best choices for how we build these systems, using whatever options we have available. And the best option that's been available during the last handful of years has been NVIDIA."
Despite outlining a major reliance on the market leader, Scott's department has kept an eye on developments chez AMD: "They're making increasingly compelling GPU offerings that I think are going to become more and more important to the marketplace in the coming years." Scott declined to comment on how easy or difficult it would be to integrate AMD Accelerators into the current Microsoft infrastructure, but kept possibilities open with an ending quip: "competition is certainly a very good thing." The mere mention of potentially utilizing Team Red technologies resulted in some buoyant US market numbers—CNBC reported that: "Shares of AMD rose almost 5% Thursday, a day after Microsoft's technology chief said the chipmaker is bolstering its position in artificial intelligence, where NVIDIA dominates."
Sources:
CNBC #1, Wccftech, CNBC #2
Last week's follow-up conversation on-stage in Dana Point, California revealed that conditions have improved since springtime: "It's easier now than when we talked last time." The improved supply circumstances have made his "job of adjudicating these very gnarly conflicts less terrible." Industry reports have Microsoft secretly working on proprietary AI chips with an unnamed partner—CNBC pinpointed Arm as a likely candidate—Scott acknowledged that something is happening behind-the-scenes but it will not be ready imminently: "I'm not confirming anything, but I will say that we've got a pretty substantial silicon investment that we've had for years...And the thing that we will do is we'll make sure that we're making the best choices for how we build these systems, using whatever options we have available. And the best option that's been available during the last handful of years has been NVIDIA."
48 Comments on Microsoft Tech Chief Prefers Using NVIDIA AI GPUs, Keeping Tabs on AMD Alternatives
plot twist, they ain't gettin shit from me boys!!!!
:rockout::rockout::rockout::rockout::rockout::rockout::rockout:
nor from @lexluthermiester
I guess it's the trend these days
Right?
Software wise? Android will never compete with iOS's vertical integration. Hardware and software developed for each other. Not that it has to.
Point is, you're taking the typical AMD fan approach of: deny, stonewall, reject, deflect and ignore. AMD can never do wrong or ever be at any meaningful disadvantage, if that happened it's definitely because they're victims of some elaborate sham. Reality is quite different.
All the same, he's had a frustrating time.