AMD to Acquire AI Pioneer Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs for a Whopping $8.2 Billion

Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has entered into an agreement to acquire World Labs, a San Francisco-based AI research lab established by the renowned industry figure, Dr. Fei-Fei Li. The all-stock transaction, announced on Monday, September 28, is valued at an estimated $8.2 billion and is anticipated to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

World Labs is a specialist in the field of spatial intelligence. They are at the forefront of developing AI models that can generate, reconstruct, and simulate interactive 3D environments from text, image, and video inputs. This technology is considered a cornerstone for the forthcoming generation of autonomous machines, including robots and self-driving vehicles. AMD’s acquisition is a strategic move into the realm of “physical AI,” a sector where its main competitor, Nvidia, is also making significant strides.

Upon the completion of the transaction, Dr. Li, who is widely recognized in tech circles as the “Godmother of AI” due to her groundbreaking work in computer vision and the ImageNet database, will join AMD. She will serve as the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientist, reporting directly to AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. This deal is AMD’s second-largest acquisition to date, only surpassed by its $50 billion acquisition of Xilinx in 2022.

Source: CNBC – AMD Acquiring Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs for $8.2 Billion