AMD CEO Lisa Su on the “Dead Sexy” AI Chips Race - On with Kara Swisher

Look at all these people who are here in the evening. I know to talk about chips. Yes, we're very excited. Hi everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. This is on with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher.

I've spoken to many people here on the podcast about the AI race, and a lot of the focus has been on generative models and the companies that make them. But the real power and a lot of the tension in the AI space is in the hardware, the semiconductor industry that is building all of that compute. My guest today has been a leader in the chips industry for more than a decade, Lisa Sue, CEO of Advanced Microdevices, better known as AMD. When Sue took over AMD in 2014, which a lot of people warned her not to do, the company was almost on the verge of bankruptcy. By 2022, AMD was thriving and has surpassed its biggest rival Intel in market cap.

Last year, Sue was named Times CEO of the year. I've really always liked talking to Lisa. We have a great rapport. Largely because she's a straight shooter and she actually tells me exactly what she thinks all the time, even when we don't agree on things. She's also, unfortunately, one of the few women' CEOs in tech, and so she stands out for that reason alone, but she also stands out because she's incredibly qualified for the job, and it's a big job these days.

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