AMD claims agentic AI is driving CPU focus in AI infrastructure

Agentic AI is driving a shift towards CPUs in the AI market, AMD confirms

During their Q1 2026 earnings call, AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, confirmed that new AI deployments are shifting their focus from GPUs towards CPUs. The push for Agentic AI is creating more CPU tasks. This has led to an increase in the CPU-to-GPU ratio of AI deployments, which is great news for AMD and its EPYC CPU lineup.

Traditionally, AI deployments use CPUs as a host node for multiple GPUs. Now, AI servers are being deployed with more CPUs to handle agentic workloads. AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su has stated that traditionally, an AI server’s CPU-to-GPU ratio was 1-to-8 and 1-to-4. Now, deployments are “getting closer to a 1-to-1 configuration”. She even said that she could “imagine” agent-heavy workloads and servers that “could have more CPUs than GPUs”.

As AI workloads evolve, the emphasis is shifting away from GPU-focused hardware configurations toward more balanced systems. While GPUs remain critical for running large language models, CPUs are now playing a larger role. This is great news for AMD, as they build strong CPUs and AI GPUs.

As these agents do work, they spawn, you know, more CPU tasks. I would say largely incremental. The key is to make sure, what, you know, we’re seeing is in these deployments, the key is to make sure the ratio of CPUs to GPUs are the right ratio. If you’re installing a gigawatt of compute, you know, the ratio, the percentage of CPU as part of that gigawatt will increase. You know, some of the conversation in the industry has been about, you know, CPU to GPU ratios.

You know, it’s very hard to call exactly, but, you know, we certainly see the movement towards, you know, where in the past the CPU to GPU ratio was primarily, you know, just as a host node, you know, in like a 1 to 4 or 1 to 8 configuration. You know, now changing and getting closer to a 1-to-1 configuration or, you know, even, you know, you can even imagine if you get lots and lots of agents that you could have more CPUs than GPUs. You know, all in all, to answer your question, I think it’s largely additive to the TAM.

You know, the key is that everyone is now planning and thinking about CPUs at the same time that they’re thinking about, you know, their accelerator deployments, which is a good thing.

– AMD CEO Lisa Su – Transcript by Investing

For Q2 2026, AMD has predicted revenues of approximately 11.2 billion. That’s 46% year-over-year growth and 9% sequential growth. Much of this growth will come from AMD’s Data Center segment, with EPYC CPUs and Instinct GPUs driving AMD’s growth.

You can join the discussion on AMD’s CPU earnings growth on the OC3D Forums.