Meta partners AMD for $100 billion AI hardware deal

Key Takeaways

• Meta and AMD announced a multi-year AI hardware deal valued at $100 billion, with Meta purchasing AMD's Instinct GPUs and EPYC CPUs to diversify its AI infrastructure and challenge NVIDIA.
• The Meta-AMD partnership, announced February 24, 2026, includes an equity component allowing Meta to acquire up to 160 million shares of AMD stock.
• Tech companies like Meta and Google are now mandating AI tool usage for employees, integrating it into performance reviews to boost efficiency and innovation.
• Straiker, an AI security company, has experienced rapid growth since March 2025, securing global companies and AI research labs with its Ascend AI and Defend AI products.
• Cloudflare rebuilt the Next.js framework, named vinext, in one week using an AI coding assistant for approximately $1,100, demonstrating rapid and cost-effective AI-assisted software development.
• Scammers are leveraging AI deepfake technology to impersonate government officials, such as the IRS, to defraud taxpayers.
• MIT's CSAIL developed PhysiOpt, a system that combines generative AI with physics simulations to create functional, 3D printable real-world items.
• SoundHound AI launched a Sales Assist Agent for retail, providing real-time product information and personalized recommendations to improve customer experience and sales efficiency.
• Chinese AI companies face low domestic user adoption rates despite strong global performance of models like Qwen and DeepSeek, hindered by computing power and regulatory concerns.
• The U.S. National Science Foundation will host an event on March 10, 2026, focusing on AI's role in transforming STEM education and workforce development.

Straiker AI Security Sees Rapid Growth in First Year

Straiker, a company focused on AI security, has experienced significant growth in its first year of commercial operations. Since March 2025, they have secured major global companies and AI research labs with their Ascend AI and Defend AI products. These tools test AI systems for weaknesses and provide security during operation. The company's rapid expansion shows a growing need for specialized AI security solutions beyond traditional methods.

Straiker AI Security Sees Rapid Growth in First Year

Straiker, a company focused on AI security, has experienced significant growth in its first year of commercial operations. Since March 2025, they have secured major global companies and AI research labs with their Ascend AI and Defend AI products. These tools test AI systems for weaknesses and provide security during operation. The company's rapid expansion shows a growing need for specialized AI security solutions beyond traditional methods.

Meta and AMD Partner for $100 Billion AI Hardware Deal

Meta and AMD have announced a major multi-year deal worth $100 billion for AI hardware. Meta will purchase AMD's Instinct GPUs and EPYC CPUs to power its large-scale AI deployments. This partnership includes an equity component where Meta may acquire up to 160 million shares of AMD stock based on shipment milestones. The deal aims to accelerate Meta's AI infrastructure and diversify its hardware supply chain, challenging NVIDIA's dominance in the AI chip market.

AMD and Meta Forge $100 Billion AI Chip Partnership

AMD has secured a significant multi-year deal with Meta Platforms to supply AI chips for Meta's next-generation machine learning systems. The agreement, announced on February 24, 2026, involves up to 6 gigawatts of AMD AI hardware for Meta's data centers, including Instinct GPUs and EPYC CPUs. This partnership diversifies Meta's AI infrastructure beyond NVIDIA and includes performance-based warrants for Meta to acquire AMD shares. The deal is valued in the tens of billions of dollars over five years and signals a major shift in the AI hardware competition.

Tech Companies Mandate AI Use for Employees

Tech companies are now requiring employees to use AI tools, moving beyond simple suggestions to enforcement. This includes integrating AI usage into performance reviews and monitoring productivity gains. Major companies like Meta and Google are adopting this strategy to leverage AI's full potential for efficiency and innovation. Formalizing AI adoption is seen as crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in the fast-evolving tech landscape.

MIT System Creates Real-World Items Using AI and Physics

Researchers at MIT's CSAIL have developed a system called PhysiOpt that combines generative AI with physics simulations to create functional real-world items. The system takes user prompts or images and designs 3D printable objects like keyholders and bookends that can withstand daily use. PhysiOpt refines designs by running physics simulations to ensure structural integrity while preserving the original appearance. This allows for the creation of personalized, durable items by integrating AI's creativity with real-world physical constraints.

AI Deepfakes Used by Scammers Targeting Taxpayers

Scammers are now using AI deepfake technology to impersonate government officials and defraud taxpayers. Individuals are receiving calls that appear to be from the IRS, claiming issues with tax situations and offering help to resolve them. This tactic exploits the fear of tax problems to trick people into sending money. The report highlights a growing concern about how AI is being used for malicious purposes like financial fraud.

China's AI Firms Push Products Amid Low Adoption Rates

Chinese AI companies are launching new products and marketing campaigns, but face challenges with low user adoption compared to the US and other markets. Despite strong global performance of models like Qwen and DeepSeek on platforms like Hugging Face, domestic adoption remains a hurdle. Companies are integrating AI into existing platforms, but it's difficult to measure true user engagement. A lack of sufficient computing power and regulatory concerns also present obstacles to widespread AI integration in China.

NSF Event Focuses on AI in STEM Education

The U.S. National Science Foundation is hosting an event on March 10, 2026, titled 'Innovations in Education in the Age of AI.' The lecture by Dr. Min Sun will explore how AI can transform STEM learning and workforce development. Dr. Sun's work bridges research and practice by developing AI technologies and training educators. The event will highlight NSF-funded projects and discuss the future needs of educational AI to prepare a competitive STEM workforce.

SoundHound AI Launches Sales Assist Tool for Retail

SoundHound AI has launched its new Sales Assist Agent, an AI tool designed for retail sales associates. This real-time system provides instant product information and personalized recommendations for deals and add-ons to customers. The tool aims to improve customer experience and boost sales efficiency. SoundHound AI processed nearly 30 million AI customer interactions in 2025 and is debuting this new solution at MWC Barcelona, highlighting interest from the European market.

Cloudflare Rebuilds Next.js Framework Using AI in One Week

Cloudflare has successfully rebuilt the popular Next.js web framework, naming it vinext, in just one week using an AI coding assistant. This project, costing approximately $1,100 in API tokens, demonstrates the rapid pace and cost-effectiveness of AI-assisted software development. Vinext is built on Vite and reimplements Next.js's API surface, showing potential for significantly faster build times and smaller code bundles compared to the original framework. This achievement highlights a major advancement in AI's role in software engineering.

OCTC Appoints Dr. Ryan Hall as AI Lead

Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) has appointed Dr. Ryan Hall as its new Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Lead. In this role, Hall will drive AI initiatives focused on enhancing human capabilities and strengthening the regional economy. OCTC emphasizes using AI as a tool to expand potential rather than replace jobs. Hall brings international experience and previously led OCTC's Adult Education program to statewide recognition.

Sources

• Straiker Becomes Fastest-Growing Agentic-First AI Security Company, Securing Global Enterprises and Frontier Labs in Under 12 Months
• Straiker Becomes Fastest-Growing Agentic-First AI Security Company, Securing Global Enterprises and Frontier Labs in Under 12 Months
• Meta Inks Deal With AMD for $100 Billion in GPUs and AI Hardware
• AMD Chip Deal With Meta Signals a New Battle Line in AI Hardware
• Tech Firms Aren’t Just Encouraging Their Workers to Use AI. They’re Enforcing It.
• Mixing generative AI with physics to create personal items that work in the real world
• How scammers are using AI deepfakes to steal money from taxpayers
• Chinese AI Makes Its Sales Pitch
• From Research to Practice: Building AI Systems that Transform STEM Learning and Workforce Development
• MWC 2026: SoundHound AI Launches Sales Assist Agent, Bringing Real-Time Agentic AI to the Retail Sales Floor
• Cloudflare Says It Used AI To Rebuild Next.js In 1 Week For $1,100
• OCTC names Hall as Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Lead