Like Professor X and Magneto, Intel and AMD know when to team up and face a common opponent. There are two companies formed New x86 advisory group to prevent platform bleeding from Arm rapidly increasing adoption. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company is part of the initiative, said the board will “help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”
Intel and AMD aim to find new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem with greater cross-platform compatibility. Arm, licensed for Apple silicon, Qualcomm chips and some Big Tech data centers now have simpler and more flexible designs. Compared to x86, Arm makes it easier for licensing companies to adapt the architecture to their needs.
The new x86 group wants a more unified instruction set and architectural interfaces. Intel and AMD believe that greater predictability and consistency across their products will drive developer innovation and help the platform survive and thrive.
The group’s founding members include Microsoft, Google, Meta, HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Broadcom, Dell, Oracle and Red Hat, in addition to chip-making rivals. Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Linux creator Linus Torvalds are also members.
“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant changes to the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades – with a new level of customization, compatibility and scalability required to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote in a press release. . “We are proud to stand with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group as we ignite the future of computing, and deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”
