Spending on AI has accelerated in recent months, as Wall Street anticipates global expenditures nearing half a trillion dollars by 2026.

AMD said Monday that it has sold ZT Systems’ manufacturing unit to Sanmina for $3 billion, making the U.S. electronics services giant a top AI ally for the chip designer in its fight against Nvidia.

The deal marks a major endorsement of AMD's AI hardware and software capabilities as the company competes with Nvidia for dominance in the AI chip market. AMD executives project the agreement will generate more than $100 billion in new revenue over four years from OpenAI and other customers who follow OpenAI's lead.

Chips aren’t the only star of the massive agreement. AMD’s software efforts have slowly turned it into a more formidable competitor to Nvidia.

AMD will power the next-generation Discovery supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Labs, partnering with the US Department of Energy, ready in early 2026.

Semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm (QCOM) is reportedly entering the AI data center race as it announces two new chips, supplementing its partnership with Saudi Arabia-based Humain in the coming years.

In September, Nvidia announced an investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI that included a plan to supply at least 10 gigawatts worth of Nvidia systems. The plan includes OpenAI deploying a gigawatt of Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin chips in late 2026.

The topic of the "best" artificial intelligence (AI) stock to buy right now is a spirited debate. One may advocate for companies building AI software, while another may be a proponent of rising stars like AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) after their OpenAI partnership announcement.

DOE announced the Discovery and Lux supercomputers at ORNL to advance U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. Discovery and Lux will enable AI-driven research that fuels new advances in energy, manufacturing, medicine and cybersecurity.