As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms workplaces around the world, most people are asking the same question: What skills will still be important when AI can do so much? According to Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), the answer is not simply learning how to use artificial intelligence tools.
Su recently told graduates on Thursday, May 28, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that technical knowledge alone will not be enough in the age of AI.
“The world doesn’t just need people who know how to use powerful tools,” he said. Instead, Su argued that future leaders will be defined by their purpose, judgment, courage, and ability to solve significant problems.
His comments come at a crucial time for both the labor market and AMD’s business. AI adoption is accelerating across industries, creating demand not only for AI skills but also for the computing infrastructure that powers those systems.
And that’s exactly where AMD is seeing significant growth.
Lisa Su says people will shape the future, not AI
Speaking to MIT’s Class of 2026, Su emphasized that every major technological change has transformed society.
The Internet changed communication. Mobile computing changed the way of people’s lives. Cloud computing transformed work.
Also read: Latest news from NVDA
But AI, he argued, could have an even greater impact because it has the potential to accelerate advances in medicine, science, energy and climate research. Still, he cautioned that technology alone does not determine results.
AI can process information and generate responses, but it cannot decide which problems deserve attention or take responsibility for the consequences of those decisions. Those responsibilities remain firmly in human hands.
Su’s message echoes similar comments from Jensen Huang and Sam Altman, who have emphasized the importance of judgment, creativity and critical thinking in an AI-driven economy.
AMD reported Q1 2026 revenue of $10.3 billion on May 5, with data center revenue up 57% year over year to $5.8 billion. Bloomberg via Getty Images
Why Su’s thoughts on AI matter to AMD’s business
For investors, Su’s comments are not just philosophical. They connect directly to AMD’s growth strategy. Because? The company has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI boom.
In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported revenue of $10.3 billion, while data center revenue increased 57% year over year to $5.8 billion, according to AMD’s press release.
In the same statement, management also said that demand for AMD EPYC processors and Instinct AI accelerators continued to accelerate. More importantly, the data center segment has become AMD’s main growth driver.
Related: AMD Buys $6.5 Million in Rising Tech Stocks
“The data center is now the main driver of our revenue and profit growth,” Su said during the company’s earnings report.
That trend highlights a key reality. Every company rushing to implement AI needs enormous computing power. AMD supplies much of the hardware that enables those workloads.
As companies invest in AI applications, demand for AMD processors, GPUs, networking products, and software ecosystem could continue to increase.
AMD is vastly expanding its AI footprint
The company has spent the last few months deepening its relationships with some of the largest technology companies in the world.
AMD revealed major AI infrastructure collaborations with Meta Platforms, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Tencent.
One of the most notable developments came from Meta, which plans to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs and become a leading customer for AMD’s next-generation EPYC server processors, according to AMD’s press release.
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The company is also working with partners in India, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), South Korea and telecom markets, as governments and enterprises build sovereign AI infrastructure.
As AMD reported, these projects could help support AMD’s outlook for revenue of approximately $11.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, representing approximately 46% year-over-year growth.
How AMD compares to Nvidia
Naturally, many investors compare AMD’s AI opportunity to Nvidia’s. This is because many understand AI through Nvidia (NVDA).
While Nvidia remains the dominant AI hardware vendor in the industry, AMD continues to gain ground.
More AI:
On May 20, Nvidia reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter revenue of $81.6 billion, up 85% from a year ago, including record data center revenue of $75.2 billion, up 92% from a year ago. Those figures underscore the enormous size of the AI ​​market.
For AMD, the opportunity isn’t necessarily to match Nvidia’s scale overnight. Rather, it is about capturing a growing share of a rapidly expanding market as customers look for alternative providers and diversified AI infrastructure.
In fact, the company’s recent partnerships suggest the strategy is gaining momentum.
AMD Stock Has Also Delivered Outstanding Returns
Investors have already benefited from AMD’s AI-driven growth story.
As of June 1, 2026, AMD stock has dramatically outperformed the broader market:
Return to date: Gain of 138.2% versus 11.0% for the S&P 500
One-year profitability: Gain of 360.7% versus 28.6% for the S&P 500
Three-year profitability: 327.0% return versus the S&P 500’s 80.1% gain
Five-year profitability: 531.3% return versus 80.9% gain for the S&P 500 Source: Yahoo Finance
Those advances reflect growing confidence that AMD can remain one of the biggest winners in AI infrastructure development.
Su’s message to the graduates was simple. Learning AI tools is important, but judgment is more important. That perspective aligns closely with AMD’s position in the market.
As businesses increasingly deploy AI, demand for advanced computing infrastructure continues to rise. AMD is providing the processors and accelerators that help drive that transition, while benefiting from one of the strongest growth trends in technology.
For shareholders, the key question is not whether AI adoption will continue. The focus is on whether AMD can continue to convert that demand into sustained revenue growth, market share gains and long-term profitability.
So far, the company’s results suggest it is doing exactly that.
Related: Bank of America resets AMD stock price target
This story was originally published by TheStreet on June 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Investments section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.
