Meta reportedly to use custom AMD MI400 chips for AI workloads

Meta will reportedly use a custom version of AMD's Instinct MI400-series AI accelerators, with memory cut to 144GB of HBM4 (high-bandwidth memory), for select workloads only. The stripped-down memory config trades versatility for lower cost compared to AMD's standard MI400 chips.

Why it matters: Custom silicon deals with hyperscalers are how AMD chips away at Nvidia's dominance in AI training and inference hardware, and a Meta-specific SKU signals AMD is willing to customize per customer in a way Nvidia has largely resisted. It fits a broader pattern of big AI labs demanding cost-optimized, workload-specific chips rather than one-size-fits-all GPUs, echoing custom accelerator moves already made by Google and Amazon.