AMD Ventures is backing autonomous driving startup Turing Inc., which has begun using AMD's AI accelerators alongside its existing reliance on Nvidia hardware. Turing Inc. aims to launch robotaxi software by 2028, seeking to reduce costs in the expensive autonomous driving market by diversifying its semiconductor suppliers away from exclusive dependence on Nvidia.
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On July 6, Bloomberg reported that Turing Inc. is receiving backing from AMD Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Advanced Micro Devices. Turing Inc. has begun adopting AMD's AI accelerators in its systems and plans to offer its software on the consumer market and in driverless robotaxis as early as 2028.
Why it matters
Turing Inc. has historically relied on Nvidia hardware for AI training and inference, but is now diversifying by using AMD graphics processors to ensure price competitiveness in the capital-intensive autonomous driving sector. This partnership signals AMD's effort to expand its footprint in AI infrastructure beyond traditional data center and gaming markets.
What to watch
Turing Inc. currently handles approximately 10% of its AI training needs with AMD graphics processing units, while remaining dependent on Nvidia for the rest. The company's commercial launch in the robotaxi space by 2028 will be a key milestone for testing the viability of this AMD-based approach at scale.
Turing Inc.'s decision to adopt AMD's AI accelerators represents a strategic shift toward supplier diversification in the autonomous driving industry. The company has been historically locked into Nvidia's ecosystem for AI training and inference since its founding, but the move to incorporate AMD hardware signals a pragmatic response to cost pressures in the capital-intensive autonomous driving space. By handling roughly 10% of its AI training with AMD processors while maintaining Nvidia for the remainder, Turing Inc. is hedging its infrastructure risk and negotiating position.
AMD Ventures' investment in Turing Inc. also reflects AMD's broader ambition to compete with Nvidia in AI infrastructure markets beyond traditional data centers and gaming. The robotaxi use case—where cost per unit and long-term operational efficiency matter acutely—represents a frontier where AMD's competitive pricing advantage could be decisive. The planned 2028 launch window gives Turing Inc. time to validate AMD-based systems at scale, but also underscores that autonomous driving remains a capital-intensive, long-horizon business where early infrastructure choices carry significant consequences.
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