US chip developer AMD has purchased MEXT, a startup that claims to use AI to improve the performance of computer memory, for an undisclosed sum.
The company intends to integrate MEXT’s technology across its datacentre portfolio, which it said will “help enterprise customers unlock greater value from their infrastructure investments while accelerating AI deployment”.
MEXT, founded in 2023, claims on its website that its AI-powered predictive memory software solution allows flash storage to operate more like dynamic RAM (DRAM), reducing compute costs and power consumption by up to 50 per cent, or a memory expansion of two to four times.
In a video, MEXT explains that its technology shunts “cold”, or currently unused, memory pages from DRAM to flash storage, and then uses AI to predict which pages will be required before they are, meaning it does not impact system performance.
DRAM is significantly more expensive than flash memory, meaning this technology has the potential to reduce server costs substantially if it works as suggested.
In its announcement, AMD noted that AI models, data analytics, virtualisation and high-performance computing workloads have made memory a critical constraint for cloud and enterprise environments.
DRAM is a critical component of AI systems, but it is manufactured by relatively few companies, with competition for access becoming increasingly fierce in recent years. Earlier in June, AMD’s main rival Nvidia unveiled a series of multi-year partnerships with leading South Korean technology groups, including a deal with DRAM manufacturer SK Hynix to develop next-generation memory technologies for AI data centres.
