America just dropped its biggest flex yet in the global AI race and yes, AMD is leading the charge.
In a massive push to stay ahead in artificial intelligence, AMD is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to power two next-generation supercomputers, called Lux and Discovery. Both will be housed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and are set to redefine how AI, science, and innovation work hand-in-hand.
These systems aren’t just another government tech upgrade, they mark the rise of the U.S. Sovereign AI Factory, a national-scale initiative to ensure America builds, trains, and protects its AI entirely on home soil.
The “AI Factory” era begins
The first of the two, Lux AI Supercomputer, will launch in 2026 as America’s first dedicated AI Factory for science and energy research.
Powered by AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs and EPYC™ CPUs, Lux is built to handle massive AI workloads that will fuel breakthroughs in:
- Clean energy and climate innovation
- Medical research and biotechnology
- National security
- Advanced manufacturing
AMD’s CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, called the partnership “a foundation for science and innovation”, adding that these new systems will help researchers move from idea to impact faster than ever.
Discovery: The next leap in scientific supercomputing
Set to arrive in 2028, the Discovery supercomputer builds on the success of Frontier, the world’s first exascale system.
Its design focuses on “Bandwidth Everywhere”, ensuring lightning-fast data movement and AI productivity, all while maintaining similar energy use to older systems.
What makes Discovery different:
- More AI power, less energy waste
- Built on open standards and open science
- Seamless transition for current U.S. research apps
Once operational, Discovery will drive breakthroughs in renewable energy, materials science, and biotechnology, helping design everything from next-gen semiconductors to sustainable batteries.
Why this matters (even for Malaysia 🇲🇾)
While this milestone is happening in the U.S., it reflects a global trend, the rise of sovereign AI ecosystems.
Malaysia, through its National AI Roadmap, is also exploring how localized data and homegrown innovation can build our own version of an AI ecosystem that’s secure, inclusive, and future-proof.
AMD’s leadership in this space offers insight into how tech sovereignty could look for Malaysia, blending open systems, local partnerships, and next-gen hardware for smarter digital infrastructure.
Highlights
- AMD and the U.S. DOE are creating the world’s first AI Factory for science.
- The Lux AI Supercomputer launches in 2026, and Discovery in 2028.
- These systems will drive breakthroughs in AI, energy, medicine, and national security.
- It’s a global reminder: the race to own AI infrastructure is officially on.