New momentum in AI infrastructure: AMD and OpenAI announce strategic partnership to deliver up to 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs for OpenAI’s next-generation AI. The first major rollout will start as early as 2026 and marks a milestone in the cooperation between the two companies. The collaboration could mean a massive boost in innovation in the field of generative AI and AI applications worldwide.
- 6 GW contract: AMD supplies GPUs for OpenAI’s future AI systems
- Start: First delivery of 1 GW MI450 GPUs from the second half of 2026
- Joint roadmap optimization for current and upcoming GPU generations
- Milestone-based equity participation for OpenAI in AMD as part of the agreement
Kick-off for a new era of AI infrastructure
The strategic partnership between AMD and OpenAI is a significant step towards globally scalable AI infrastructures. With the agreement announced today, AMD will provide OpenAI with up to 6 gigawatts of GPU power, starting with the latest Instinct MI450 series. The first gigawatt expansion stage is expected to go live as early as the second half of 2026, laying the foundation for future generations of OpenAI’s AI applications that require enormous computing power.
The cooperation aims to support OpenAI in building and operating the latest generative AI models, starting with the MI450 GPUs and rack-based complete solutions. Predecessors such as the MI300X or MI350X have already been part of joint development projects and have created the basis for a multi-year hardware and software alliance. The continuous development of both companies promotes a technology transfer in which OpenAI benefits from AMD’s expertise in high-performance computing, while AMD gains early insights into OpenAI’s AI workloads.
Focus on technical and commercial milestones
The contract model is characterized by a close alignment of interests between AMD and OpenAI. OpenAI receives an option from AMD for up to 160 million AMD shares, which is linked to the achievement of specific milestones: the first block of shares will become due with the start of the 1 GW deployment, further tranches will follow with the further ramp-up to the 6 GW total capacity as well as with certain share price and implementation successes. This is not just about technological cooperation, but also about economic incentives and strategic value enhancement for both sides.
Leading figures emphasize the scope of the partnership: While AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su praises the cooperation as the “world’s most ambitious AI expansion”, OpenAI President Greg Brockman emphasizes the need for collaboration across all technology levels. Financial dimensions also play a role: AMD CFO Jean Hu expects billions in revenue for AMD and confirms the added value of the agreement for shareholders through additional income and value enhancement.
Far-reaching effects on the market and the AI ecosystem
The new partnership is expected to not only influence the competitive dynamics in the market, but also trigger fundamental changes in the AI ecosystem. From providing high-performance compute nodes to optimizing AI software and workflows, both companies will mutually benefit and drive innovation across the industry. The planned scaling and technical depth will not only accelerate OpenAI’s AI models in the future, but also drive developments on AMD’s side, for example in the design and implementation of new GPU generations.
For the industry as a whole, this alliance means that the pace of innovation and market penetration of generative AI is likely to increase further. Data centers and cloud providers could benefit from lower latencies, higher efficiency and more scalable infrastructures in the medium term. The strategic proximity between the two technology leaders shows that access to specialized hardware and co-design partnerships is becoming a key competitive factor in the global AI race.
Conclusion
The announcement of the strategic partnership between AMD and OpenAI marks a milestone for the future development of the global AI infrastructure. With the planned rollout of 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs from 2026, both companies will set a new standard for large-scale AI deployments and mutually benefit from each other’s expertise. Depending on the milestones achieved, the agreement also provides for a comprehensive shareholding for OpenAI in AMD. Pricing and more precise availability of the systems have yet to be determined, but the partnership is already considered a defining example of the close integration of hardware and the next-generation AI ecosystem.
