By Dr. Chekib Akrout, Senior VP of AMD’s Technology Group.

Today, a smart phone owner has access to more processing power than the Apollo 11 astronauts used to land on the moon. Advances in computing power coupled with nearly unlimited availability of information has provided the world with an unprecedented confluence of brain power and technology. These changes allow the world’s best minds to collaborate instantaneously and simultaneously leverage the most powerful computing tools in history.

At AMD, our company’s vision is “A world where the amazing power of AMD technology improves the quality of people’s lives.” By designing some of the world’s most advanced semiconductor products, we are helping to improve medical science, education and environmental protection in ways that were not possible before.

Highlighted in the summer 2011 issue of our Corporate Responsibility Update are just a few examples of how AMD’s products are used to improve our society and our planet.

For example, in January of this year more than five hundred AMD executives sat in awe as we heard the compelling story of a young man whose life changed when he discovered the beauty of math and science through computer technology. A self-confident, articulate, 19 year old African-American man, Darrius Shaw told us that working in a computer lab with the dedicated people at his local Boys and Girls Club opened his mind to engineering and kept him focused on achievement at a time when many of his peers were dropping out of school. In 2011, AMD and the AMD Foundation strengthened our commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs with a combined grant of $355,162, providing access to educational gaming technology for youth nationwide.  Darrius is now enrolled in electrical engineering on a scholarship to prestigious New York University and, it is no coincidence, he is spending his summer working as an engineering intern here at AMD.

If a single PC can change someone’s life, imagine what can be done with a supercomputer. Currently, AMD products power four of the world’s ten most powerful supercomputers. The “Ranger” supercomputer, located at the University of Texas’ Advanced Computing Center, is powered by AMD Operon™ processors and is capable of a quadrillion calculations per second…that’s one thousand trillion operations each second! Researchers like Dr. Alexi Aksimentiev are harnessing this power to advance medical science. His research is aimed at designing personalized medical therapies for each patient that would improve the effectiveness of treatment and could change medicine as we know it.

Another AMD Opteron-powered supercomputer – the “Kraken” system at the University of Tennessee – is being used to enhance the efficiency of biofuels that could replace fossil fuels. This ultra-fast system allows researchers to simulate the chemical reactions that turn cellulose (plant material) into fuel at a level of detail that could not be achieved before. This research has the potential to increase the availability and effectiveness of biofuels which would lessen our dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

After working for my entire career in the semiconductor field, my focus has been on the technical details of designing cutting edge microprocessors. For example, AMD’s latest innovation, the accelerated processor unit (APU) that combines graphics and central processing units on one chip, is shaping the future of the computing industry. While I am proud of these accomplishments, I am truly fulfilled when I step back and look at the way our products are used to help others and improve our world.

Dr. Chekib Akrout is the Senior VP of AMD’s Technology Group. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.