Agentic AI Brings New Attention to CPUs in the AI Data Center

At the AMD Advancing AI event last June, CEO and Chair Dr. Lisa Su described agentic AI as a new class of user: systems that are always active, continuously accessing data, applications, and services to make decisions and complete complex tasks.

These systems rely on high-performance GPUs to generate insights in real time, but the surrounding infrastructure is just as important. As agentic AI activity grows, high-performance CPUs coordinate workflows, process and move data, and manage the many operations that occur around the model.

While GPUs excel at the high-throughput parallel processing used in AI training and many inference tasks, modern AI deployments depend on balanced systems. CPUs, GPUs, networking, and software each play distinct roles in delivering performance at scale.

Within these environments, CPUs orchestrate workloads, manage memory and data movement, and support the enterprise applications that run alongside AI models in production. That makes CPU performance and efficiency more important than ever in the overall performance of modern AI infrastructure.

In recently published data, a 5th Gen AMD EPYC CPU-based system is estimated to show up to 2.1x higher performance per core against comparable Nvidia Grace Superchip-based systems.1 The same AMD EPYC CPU-based system compared to the same Nvidia Grace Superchip-based system is estimated to deliver up to 2.26x uplift on SPECpower,2 measuring operations per watt.

Just as importantly, the x86 CPU architecture gives customers the advantage of a broad, proven software ecosystem with the vast majority of enterprise workloads already running natively across on-prem and cloud environments; without the refactoring, recompiling, and multiple code bases that often come with adding Arm-based systems.

How CPUs and GPUs Work Together

Think of the relationship between CPUs and GPUs in AI data centers as that of a head coach with a team of agile athletes.

The CPU head coach calls the plays, reacts to the other team, watches the clock and keeps all the players moving in the right direction. GPUs are the players, each of them specializing in one very efficient part of one play at a time. 

Server CPUs are designed to handle complex tasks and orchestrate GPUs in system. They load data from memory, ready it for the GPUs, coordinate its right-on-time delivery, and handle the instructions and data the GPUs need to do their jobs. GPUs with their smaller cores are designed for simpler chores that they perform again and again at a rapid pace.

Roles Adjust Between Training and Inference

Training is where GPUs and high throughput compute shine. Neural networks rely heavily on operations involving large grids of data, and AI training requires a team of GPUs to crunch that data over and over for the system to learn. 

During training, CPUs manage and feed the data to the GPUs to keep them working at peak efficiency. CPUs also run the operating system, manage memory and schedule tasks. It’s a lot, but it’s not a strain on the CPUs. 

As the bulk of AI work transitions to inference, the CPU becomes less organizer and more the results-focused manager. GPUs still perform much of the heavy neural network math. But the CPU picks up the heavy thinking: It collects the data, routes information, interprets results, and decides the final actions. The CPU’s role is more intense in inference with control, coordination, and complex decision-making happening at the same time.

This shows why architecture matters. 

AMD is the leader in chiplet design. That modular approach gives AMD the flexibility to tune compute, I/O, memory bandwidth, and power envelopes to deliver right-sized compute for everything from core enterprise applications and virtualization to GPU orchestration and multi-step agentic AI workflows.

Agentic AI Leans on the CPU

The arrival of agentic AI – artificial intelligence that can plan, decide, and take actions with minimal human intervention – demands a CPU that can do more than ever. In the world of AI agents, CPUs spend more time and logic considering results, rather than just returning a response like traditional inferencing. And, often, it returns the problem to the GPUs for another go-around with adjusted directions before that final result is delivered.

On top of their other duties, CPUs in agentic AI systems need to manage tool calls, API requests, and memory queries. And, in a perfect world, they do all that while keeping the GPUs busy. The rise of agentic AI drives increased CPU cycles as CPUs move data between agents, enterprise applications and data lakes. 

The CPU coach is not only playing out the game’s last two minutes, it’s trying play after play to score. And the decisions it makes determine how GPUs are utilized, overall throughput, and, especially important for AI providers, total cost of ownership.

Cue the AMD EPYC Server CPUs

Agentic AI is expanding what AI can do. It’s also reinforcing a truth every data center architect already knows: The best AI outcomes come from balanced systems. GPUs will continue to drive the compute, but CPUs will be increasingly critical to orchestration, efficiency, and overall data center consolidation to make more room for more AI systems without having to increase data center footprint or power envelope. 

AI performance is increasingly defined at the system level and AMD is uniquely positioned to optimize everything from CPUs and GPUs to networking and an open software stack to maximize cluster-level performance per system watt. AMD EPYC CPUs tightly integrate with AMD Instinct GPUs to support efficient GPU management with the system all brought together by the AMD ROCm software stack.

AMD is already building on that foundation. Next-gen AMD EPYC CPUs, codenamed “Venice,” are positioned to power the upcoming “Helios” rack-scale AI architecture. “Venice” is expected to extend leadership in performance, density, and energy efficiency for AI and general-purpose workloads.

AI is accelerating compute demand across the board and driving a global server refresh cycle. With AMD EPYC processors, AMD is delivering the CPU foundation customers need to scale what’s next – and to coach all those high-performing GPUs.

Safer Internet Day 2026: Groups Warn of Escalating AI-driven Online Abuse Targeting Filipino Children

Metro Manila, February 16, 2026 – Girl and child rights organizations Plan International Pilipinas and Consuelo Foundation warned of escalating artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled online abuse targeting children, as they convene lawmakers, tech companies, youth leaders, and civil society groups at a Safer Internet Day Celebration on February 24, 2026. 

The groups flagged the rapid proliferation of AI tools capable of generating hyper-realistic images, videos, and voice recordings, which are increasingly being weaponized to exploit, harass, and extort children online. These include AI-generated sexual images, “deepfake” content, impersonation scams, and grooming tactics that are more difficult for parents and authorities to detect.

“We are facing a reality where algorithms move faster than our laws, leaving children vulnerable to abuse before we even know the risks exist,” said Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, Executive Director of Plan International Pilipinas.

Studies show that one in two children has experienced some form of online violence, and seven out of ten girls report experiencing online abuse, with perpetrators misusing digital platforms to produce, distribute, and profit from abusive content. With AI tools now lowering the technical barriers to creating manipulated sexual images and videos, advocates warn that children—particularly girls—face heightened risks of image-based abuse, cyberbullying, impersonation, and online blackmail.

The National Coordinating Center Against OSAEC-CSAEM said the number of reported incidents remains significantly lower than what is happening on the ground, suggesting that many cases of online abuse still go unreported.

“We cannot allow innovation to outpace the safeguards that have protected children for generations. Through the Safer Internet Day Celebration, we are calling for a collective shift—one that strengthens collaboration among government, tech companies, communities, and families. Digital safety is a shared responsibility. It calls for ‘Smart Tech’ that prioritizes child protection and ‘Smart Choices’ from all of us to create safer online spaces for them,” Sanchez-Ogang added.

The Safer Internet Day Celebration, titled “Beyond the Feed: Safeguarding Girls, Children, and Young People in AI-Driven Digital Spaces,” will move the conversation beyond awareness toward practical solutions. Sessions will examine how emerging technologies can be harnessed to strengthen child protection by improving reporting systems, enhancing built-in safeguards, and equipping families and communities with the tools to respond to online risks. 

The event will also spotlight the voices of young people as active partners in shaping safer digital spaces. Girl leaders and youth advocates will share their insights and recommendations, underscoring the need for sustained, coordinated action to uphold children’s rights in an AI-driven online environment.

The celebration forms part of Plan International Pilipinas’ #StandWithGirls campaign, a national movement dedicated to advancing long-term investment in girls’ rights, safety, and leadership. Through this platform, the organization reinforces the message that protecting children online is inseparable from advancing gender equality and preventing violence against girls. 

Founded in 1961, Plan International Pilipinas will mark 65 years of working with children and girls across every stage of their lives in the Philippines in June. The celebration will also highlight ongoing initiatives such as SAFE Online, SUFASEC, and Connect2Protect — projects dedicated to strengthening online safety. 

“As Safer Internet Day draws attention to the risks children face online, Plan International Pilipinas is urging all stakeholders to take meaningful, long-term action that prioritizes children’s safety in digital spaces. Standing with girls means standing firmly against online abuse, through policy, through practice, and in every corner of the internet where children learn, play, and connect,” Sanchez-Ogang added.

Echoing this call for protection, Dr. Mariella Castillo, the Managing Director of Consuelo Foundation, stated, “What happens on our screens has real-world consequences for our children. ‘Beyond the Feed’ is not just a theme; it is a call to look past the algorithms and see the human cost of unchecked technology. Consuelo Foundation is proud to stand with Plan International Pilipinas to ensure that digital spaces are built to nurture young people, not exploit them.”

To sustain these collective efforts, the organizations are opening doors for collaboration. Interested partners may reach out via partnerships.ph@plan-international.org. Plan International Pilipinas will also be launching a donation portal by the last week of February.

Why the Philippines' AI Infrastructure Strategy Must Look Beyond Data Centers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we live, work, and solve some of the Philippines' most pressing issues, from boosting agricultural productivity and improving healthcare diagnostics to enhancing financial inclusion in rural areas. The Philippine government, through initiatives like the National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0 (NAISR 2.0), is actively positioning the country as a regional AI powerhouse. While data centers are an essential component, they are only part of a broader, more holistic strategy that must incorporate a distributed computing approach, including AI-capable PCs and edge devices.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. AI's transformative potential is not limited to large urban centers. In a geographically diverse archipelago like the Philippines, with its archipelagic nature and many geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), a centralized strategy presents significant challenges. Many rural communities still struggle with poor or unreliable internet connectivity. An AI-powered farming app, for example, might offer data-driven recommendations to farmers. Still, its effectiveness is severely limited if it requires a constant, high-speed connection to a data center hundreds of kilometers away. This digital divide is a real and growing concern, with significant disparities in internet access between urban and rural areas.

Furthermore, a data center-only strategy has sustainability and efficiency implications. The demand for data centers is growing rapidly, with the Philippine data center market expected to reach 1.3 thousand MW by 2030. This growth, however, comes with a substantial increase in electricity consumption. Given the country's reliance on fossil fuels, a heavy dependence on large data centers could lead to soaring energy costs and a serious environmental impact.

To make AI truly inclusive and sustainable, the Philippines needs a balanced approach. This means running AI applications locally on devices such as AI PCs or specialized edge devices can process data at the source. 

In a distributed compute approach for a nation, this means that data centers are used as centralized hubs for training large AI models, storing vast datasets, and running high-complexity analytics. They continue to serve as the backbone of national and enterprise-level AI workloads. AI PCs equipped with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) are used by professionals, researchers, and advanced users for local inference for on-device AI tasks, development, and some training. Then you have the edge devices in the periphery – like those used in smart factories, farms, or for disaster resilience – handling real-time inference and automation. 

This distributed model offers several advantages:

• Faster responsiveness: Local processing eliminates the latency of transmitting data back and forth to a distant data center.

• Energy efficiency: AI-capable PCs and edge devices consume less energy than large data centers, reducing the overall carbon footprint.

• Accessibility: AI applications can operate anywhere, anytime, without the need for high-speed internet.

• Affordability: Reducing reliance on expensive data center resources can lower the operational costs for both businesses and end-users.

As the Philippines expands its digital infrastructure, it is critical to build a foundation that is accessible and sustainable for all. A distributed compute approach, which complements rather than replaces data centers, is the strategic path forward to ensure that AI becomes a catalyst for inclusive innovation and economic growth throughout the entire archipelago.

Schneider Electric urges PH Data Centers to Implement Smart and Sustainable Solutions to Minimize Energy Consumption

Schneider Electric recently gathered leaders in the data center industry for a roundtable discussion on how data centers can accelerate energy transition and a golf match at Manila South Woods Golf and Country Club, Cavite.

Manila, Philippines – Schneider Electric, the leader in energy management and digital automation, underscores the importance of a green approach to data center design and operations to future-proof operations and lessen carbon emissions. This will make the industry more sustainable and resilient to growing demands. 

The company recently gathered data center industry players to discuss today’s data landscape and challenges in an event called Power Up: Fuel Your Path For Success. 

Uptime Institute, an international research organization on global data centers, estimated a 500% growth in data generated from 2019-2025 all over the world. As its operations are energy-intensive, the data center industry is estimated to account for 1% of global electricity consumption. 

"Data centers have become integral to our rapidly growing internet economy. The need to transition to sustainable operations has become more pronounced," said Carlos Leviste, Business Development and Marketing Director at Schneider Electric Philippines. He added that industries have previously leaned heavily on fuel alone to run their operations. As data center facilities are energy-intensive, data centers play a pivotal role in sustainability. The most efficient way would be to shift to electricity and digital. 

However, there is a growing preference across industries for maximizing energy management systems and digital tools, which not only drive operational efficiency but also promote sustainability. Data centers, equipped with smarter operations, can optimize costs, speed, and capital to prepare them for future technological integrations and risk mitigation.

Schneider Electric is at the forefront of this advancement with its extensive suite of digital solutions to improve the efficiency and sustainability of data centers. For instance, APC, Schneider Electric’s flagship brand, offer high-efficiency uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), cooling units, and monitoring systems to foresee any unwanted downtime within the data centers and pinpoint inefficiencies to their operations. 

In particular, the oil-free cooling centrifugal compressors with magnetic bearings chiller systems that Schneider Electric utilizes allows data centers to consume power more efficiently and sustainably.

Similarly, Schneider Electric provides renewable Power & Grid solutions that can help produce electricity sustainably to fuel data center facilities’ increasing needs. 

“Through these solutions, data center facilities can reduce operational costs in design and engineering, function using grid-compliant assets and software with reduced cybersecurity risks and ensure proactive maintenance of assets to maintain optimum uninterrupted performance,” said Sara El Fanidi, Power and Grid Sales Leader of Schneider Electric APAC. 

Furthering its commitment to sustainable digital transformation, Schneider Electric has also introduced new industry certifications within its EcoXpert™ Partner Program. These certifications are aimed at empowering partners to become trusted advisors on Data Center and Critical Infrastructure solutions, ensuring data centers are not only efficient and resilient but also sustainable. 

By harnessing the power of digital transformation and connected infrastructure, Schneider Electric is setting a new standard for data centers — one that prioritizes sustainability, reliability, efficiency, and resilience in the face of rapidly changing demands.

DoubleVerify Study Reveals Gap Between Intent and Action in Media Quality Measurement in APAC

Manila, Philippines – DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV), a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics, today released a report entitled: "Raising the Bar in APAC: How Media Quality and Performance Drive Outcomes". The report, developed in conjunction with WARC, explores the impact of media quality and attention metrics on driving performance for advertisers in APAC. The study provides an overview of the region’s evolving and nuanced advertising ecosystem, examining key trends, the importance of media quality, and how brands can power performance.

Key findings from the report:

There is a gap between what marketers report and what they are actually doing

The survey revealed that APAC marketers have a positive mindset towards media quality measurement, with 91% agreeing that it is critical for driving media effectiveness. 98% of marketers use ad verification tools in campaigns, with more than half being ‘very confident’ about ensuring quality across almost all media channels (including emerging channels like CTV).

However, according to the study, ad verification is not ‘always on’ for all APAC marketers, with one in three using verification tools only on an ad-hoc basis. Furthermore, a significant portion of marketers surveyed fail to evaluate digital media buys against core quality metrics, with only 17% evaluating critical effectiveness indicators like brand suitability, viewability, fraud, or if the ad was served in the intended geography.

Rhea Teves, Director of Digital Channels and Media at Colgate-Palmolive, highlighted, “Brand safety in itself is reason enough why advertisers should prioritise media quality. We, as a company, recognise the importance of prioritising media impact and quality and we are continuously adapting our approach in the region. For example, by prioritising media quality, we are able to retain or only experience a small decline on traffic despite a slight increase on CPC (Cost-Per-Click) and significant decrease on impressions because of high clicks on our ads. It means we are able to target the right audience that leads to better engagement.”

A wide range of attention metrics are used in APAC

While 98% of marketers surveyed claimed to measure attention through a range of metrics, the metrics used varied greatly based on channel, format, and desired KPIs. This points to the importance of considering all metrics in their entirety for more accurate attention measurement.

Conrad Tallariti, Regional Vice President of Sales for Asia, DoubleVerify said, “Southeast Asia (SEA) is poised to become the fourth-largest economy in the world on the back of rapid digitalisation with markets like the Philippines topping in e-commerce retail growth. While the potential for digital ad spending growth in APAC is huge, advertisers must safeguard their investments by ensuring always-on verification across all channels or risk wasting media dollars. Media quality should be the foundation of every media campaign, and marketers need education on verification. ” 

The report draws insights from 329 brand marketers responsible for media buying in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines. It incorporates insights from in-depth interviews with brand marketers and industry experts and a review of WARC’s global data, DV’s data and examples to help marketers raise the bar of media quality in APAC.

For the full report, visit: https://doubleverify.com/2023-warc-report/