Where does your data go when you use AI? And who decides whether it stays on your device or within your country?
In an exclusive interview with MENATECH, Jens Stapelfeldt, Global AI Lead for the AMD University Program, explains how open ecosystems help countries and companies choose the software and hardware that meet their needs while building greater independence in AI. He also discusses running AI applications locally on laptops and in labs, without data having to leave those environments.
Building these capabilities starts with education. Jens outlines how the AMD University Program provides training materials, practical exercises, and labs through its learning cloud, alongside support for professors, university collaborations, and research funding. He also explores resources from AMD AI Academy and the Developer Program, covering areas such as prompting, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and agentic AI.
Turning to regional collaboration, he discusses working with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), including a workshop held at LEAP to introduce professors and students to AMD’s resources for AI education and skills development.
The conversation also explores robotics and physical AI, where precise timing, sensor fusion, and real-time processing are essential. Jens explains how AMD’s expertise in this field connects to Xilinx technologies and FPGAs, alongside newer products such as the X100.
