Nvidia's Grip on AI Chips Weakens — Microsoft Turns to AMD, Anthropic May Follow
Microsoft has expanded its partnership with AMD for AI chips while Anthropic tests AMD hardware. Nvidia's monopoly on the AI chip market is weakening for the first time.
Nvidia's Grip on AI Chips Weakens: Microsoft Turns to AMD, Anthropic May Follow
The AI chip market is undergoing a historic transformation. For years, Nvidia has been the undisputed leader in AI hardware, but 2026 is proving to be a turning point. Microsoft has announced an expanded partnership with AMD centered on AMD's new Helios platform — a direct challenge to Nvidia's dominance.
Microsoft's Move: The Helios Platform
AMD's new Helios platform, shipping in the second half of 2026, was built specifically to run large AI models. AMD CEO Lisa Su called the partnership a "major milestone." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said customers need more choices for AI infrastructure. The AMD deal means the market finally has a credible alternative to Nvidia.
Anthropic: The Next Big Customer?
According to SemiAnalysis, AMD assigned Anthropic its highest priority rating — the same tier as Meta. A public GitHub profile belonging to an AMD director suggests Anthropic is already testing AMD hardware. OpenAI already has an AMD partnership, meaning both major AI labs could work with AMD alongside Nvidia.