AMD CEO On ‘Next Phase Of AI’ Investments In EPYC, Ryzen, GPUs And Partners In 2026

‘We expect global compute demand to increase by roughly 100X over the next five years. That’s why we are investing across our CPU, GPU, NPU and networking road maps to deliver higher performance and better efficiency [in 2026],” AMD CEO Lisa Su says as part of CRN’s CEO Outlook 2026 project.

AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su has bullish investment plans in building the foundation for the next phase of AI innovation around EPYC CPUs, Instinct GPUs and Ryzen AI processors in 2026 alongside its channel partners.

“Based on the pace of adoption, we expect global compute demand to increase by roughly 100X over the next five years. That’s why we are investing across our CPU, GPU, NPU and networking road maps to deliver higher performance and better efficiency,” said AMD’s CEO as part of CRN’s 2026 CEO Outlook project.

Su said AMD is expanding innovation in 2026 with its “first rack-scale solution powered by next-generation Instinct MI455X GPUs, EPYC Venice CPUs and Pensando Vulcano networking.”

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip and processor giant currently has an annual run rate of $37 billion.

“AMD is building the open compute foundation for this next phase of AI with AMD EPYC CPUs and Instinct GPUs for the data center, Ryzen AI processors for PCs and a range of adaptive and embedded processors,” Su said.

AMD’s $9.2B Record Revenue; CEO Says AI Is ‘Most Powerful’ Tech In 50 Years

For the third quarter of 2025, AMD generated record revenue of $9.2 billion, up 36 percent year over year.

The company reported gross profit of $4.8 billion, up 40 percent year over year, as well as gross margin of 52 percent. AMD’s net income for the quarter was $1.2 billion, up 61 percent year over year.

Su has been with AMD for over 14 years.

She said AI is the “most powerful technology of the last 50 years,” which is why AMD is investing heavily in building a foundation for the next phase of AI and in AMD partners this year.

As part of CRN’s CEO Outlook 2026 project, here is what Su had to say about AMD’s key investments this year, future AI plans, channel partner strategy and the biggest market opportunities in 2026.

What are the key technology investments you plan to make in 2026?

Our technology investments in 2026 reflect where AI is headed. Based on the pace of adoption, we expect global compute demand to increase by roughly 100X over the next five years.

That’s why we are investing across our CPU, GPU, NPU and networking road maps to deliver higher performance and better efficiency.

We are expanding our capabilities with our first rack-scale solution powered by next-generation Instinct MI455X GPUs, EPYC ‘Venice’ CPUs and Pensando ‘Vulcano’ networking.

With workloads growing more demanding and complex, we are also investing in packaging and interconnect technologies—including silicon photonics.

Equally important is our continued investment in open software, platform capabilities and developer enablement to make AMD AI solutions easier to deploy and optimize at scale.

What impact do you expect AI to have on the business you and your partners do together in 2026?

AI is the most powerful technology of the last 50 years, and it is already touching every major industry. But we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible.

To unlock its full potential, we need AI in every compute platform in the cloud, on the PC and at the edge.

That is especially true with physical AI, where intelligence is increasingly embedded in machines that sense, move and operate in the real world.

AMD has the full range of compute engines to deliver the right compute for each workload.

For our partners, this creates sustained opportunity to help customers modernize infrastructure and deploy AI in new ways that deliver real business impact.

What is the biggest market opportunity you and your channel partners will tackle together in 2026?

The biggest opportunity we see in 2026 is helping customers scale their AI deployments.

We are entering a new era as training and inference expand across data centers, PCs and the edge, driving a massive increase in global compute demand.

At the same time, enterprises continue to run traditional workloads that support mission- critical applications. Customers need platforms that can support AI growth while fitting into existing IT infrastructures.

AMD is building the open compute foundation for this next phase of AI with AMD EPYC CPUs and Instinct GPUs for the data center, Ryzen AI processors for PCs and a range of adaptive and embedded processors.

That broad portfolio is increasingly important as AI moves beyond digital use cases into physical AI, including robotics, industrial automation and other real-world systems at the edge.

Our channel partners play a critical role in translating that technology into solutions customers can deploy with confidence and scale as their workloads and compute needs evolve.

What do you see as the toughest challenges facing customers in 2026?

One of the biggest challenges customers face in 2026 is managing the pace of change as AI adoption accelerates.

Growing compute requirements, power and efficiency, and integration complexity are all top of mind.

Customers want to deploy AI without increasing operational risk and cost. This is where trusted platforms and partners matter most.

AMD focuses on delivering high-performance, energy-efficient compute that can be deployed across environments, and we work closely with partners to help customers design systems that are reliable, manageable and built for long-term growth.

What is the key to success for your channel partners in 2026?

Success for channel partners in 2026 will come from helping customers move from AI innovation to AI transformation.

That includes understanding how training and inference requirements are evolving, selecting the right architectures, and delivering solutions that can evolve over time.

We are continuing to invest in helping channel partners drive growth by delivering on our leadership technology road maps, expanding tools and programs that accelerate partner success, and deepening the trust we have established.

An open ecosystem and strong co-innovation with partners will also be essential to moving faster and delivering outcomes customers can measure.

Fill in the blank: My top priority for 2026 is:

My top priority for 2026 is building the compute foundation that enables the next era of AI.

As AI adoption accelerates, success will depend on platforms that deliver performance, efficiency, and flexibility at scale.

With training and inference driving unprecedented growth in compute demand, our focus is on advancing end-to-end technology leadership and working closely with partners across the ecosystem to translate AI innovation into real-world and business impact.

By doing this together, we will help customers deploy AI with confidence today and build for the future.