CUDA is very far ahead. Not only technically, but in mindshare. Developers trust CUDA and know that investing in CUDA is a future proof investment. AMD has had so many API changes over the years, that no one trusts them any more. If you go all in on AMD, you might have to re-write all your code in 3-5 years. AMD can promise that this won't happen, but it's happened so many times already that no one really believes them.
Another problem is simply that hiring (and keeping) top talent is really really hard. If you're smart enough to be a lead developer of AMDs core Machine Learning libraries, you can probably get hired at any number of other places, so why choose AMD.
I think the leadership gets it and understand the importance, I just don't think they (or really anybody) knows how to come up with a good plan to turn things around quickly. They're going to have to commit to at least a 5 year plan and lose money each of those 5 years, and I'm not sure they can or even want to fight that battle.
> Another problem is simply that hiring (and keeping) top talent is really really hard.
Absolutely. And when your mandate for this top talent is going to be "go and build something that basically copies what those other guys have already built", it is even harder to attract them, when they can go any place they like and work on something new.
> I think the leadership gets it and understand the importance, I just don't think they (or really anybody) knows how to come up with a good plan to turn things around quickly.
Yes, it always puzzles me when people think nobody at AMD actually sees the problem. Of course they see it. Turning a large company is incredibly hard. Leadership can give direction, but there is so much baked in momentum, power structures, existing projects and interests, that it is really tough to change things.
CUDA is one area that Nvidia really nailed. When it was first announcement I saw it as something neat but could have never envisioned just how ingrained it would become. This was long before AI training/execution was something really on most people radars.
But for years I have heard the same things from so many people working in the field. "We hate Nvidia because they got it so right but are the only option."
Another problem is simply that hiring (and keeping) top talent is really really hard. If you're smart enough to be a lead developer of AMDs core Machine Learning libraries, you can probably get hired at any number of other places, so why choose AMD.
I think the leadership gets it and understand the importance, I just don't think they (or really anybody) knows how to come up with a good plan to turn things around quickly. They're going to have to commit to at least a 5 year plan and lose money each of those 5 years, and I'm not sure they can or even want to fight that battle.