Chipmaker AMD has announced a goal to deliver a 30x increase in energy efficiency for AMD EPYC CPUs and AMD Instinct accelerators in Artificial Intelligence (AI) training and High Performance Computing (HPC) applications running on accelerated compute nodes by 2025.
Accomplishing this ambitious goal will require AMD to increase the energy efficiency of a compute node at a rate that is more than 2.5x faster than the aggregate industry-wide improvement made during the last five years.
Accelerated compute nodes are the most powerful and advanced computing systems in the world used for scientific research and large-scale supercomputer simulations. They provide the computing capability used by scientists to achieve breakthroughs across many fields including material sciences, climate predictions, genomics, drug discovery and alternative energy.
Accelerated nodes are also integral for training AI neural networks that are currently used for activities including speech recognition, language translation and expert recommendation systems, with similar promising uses over the coming decade.
The 30x goal would save billions of kilowatt hours of electricity in 2025, reducing the power required for these systems to complete a single calculation by 97% over five years.
AMD also announced the publication of its 26th annual Corporate Responsibility Report highlighting the company’s accomplishments from the previous year, including performance against its 2014 to 2020 targets, and unveiling new goals through 2025 and 2030.
This year’s report features four key environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategic focus areas that guide the company’s purpose-driven approach to high-performance computing: digital impact, environmental stewardship, supply chain responsibility, and diversity, belonging and inclusion.
Last year, AMD established the Covid-19 High Performance Compute (HPC) Fund to provide universities and institutions with computing resources to accelerate medical research on COVID-19 and other diseases.
The company also recently launched a new learning lab in Singapore for students and teachers to advance digital literacy skills, continuing the expansion of AMD learning labs in site communities worldwide.
To demonstrate the company’s continued commitment to digital impact moving forward, the company has set a goal to benefit 100 million people by 2025 through AMD and AMD Foundation philanthropy and partnerships that enable STEM education, scientific research and the workforce of the future.
The company’s partnership approach on supply chain responsibility focuses on delivering quality products while upholding high social and environmental standards.
In 2020, 47% of AMD manufacturing suppliers had active audits under the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), with average audit scores 39% better than the RBA average.
The company has announced new 2025 supply chain goals that include auditing 100% of its suppliers while increasing their climate protection efforts and capacity building activities, such as training and industry engagements.
