As geopolitical tensions thaw, AMD is on the brink of a breakthrough in China’s AI market. Hot on the heels of NVIDIA’s H20 gaining export approval, AMD is pushing forward with its own ‘China-compliant’ AI solution: the Instinct MI308. 
The company is reportedly in the final stages of securing a U.S. export license for the chip, signaling a potential green light for AMD to tap into one of the world’s largest AI hardware markets.
This shift follows a notable change in Washington’s stance, with the U.S. government easing its restrictions on high-end tech exports to China. After NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang made a high-profile visit to China, new exemptions started flowing – and AMD is now moving fast to catch up.
Though full specifications of the Instinct MI308 remain under wraps, early reports suggest it will offer performance comparable to NVIDIA’s H20. If approved, the MI308 could represent a pivotal moment for AMD, which has historically lagged behind NVIDIA in the Chinese AI sector. With demand in China booming for AI accelerators, AMD is positioning itself to go head-to-head with NVIDIA in a new frontier.
Industry watchers are already speculating how the sales of these ‘China-friendly’ chips might impact both tech giants. For AMD, this could finally be the ticket to securing serious market share overseas. For NVIDIA, it means no longer having the stage to itself. Either way, this marks the beginning of a fresh chapter in the GPU wars – and China’s AI ecosystem is set to benefit.