AMD Buys Toronto-Based Startup to Bolster AI Inference Tech

AMD has acquired Toronto-based AI chip startup Taalas to expand its artificial intelligence portfolio beyond graphics processing units (GPUs). The deal adds specialized AI inference technology to AMD's roadmap, addressing a growing need for low-latency workloads in AI.

The acquisition integrates Taalas' technology across Helios systems, Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and ROCm software. This move highlights the increasing importance of specialized AI inference chips alongside traditional GPUs. According to Lisa Su, AMD CEO, 'there's no one-size-fits-all as it comes to chips.'

The deal comes seven months after Nvidia acquired assets from AI chip designer Groq in a $20-billion deal. AMD shares gained 0.30% in after-hours trading on Thursday.