Dive In | Unleashing Potential with AMD's Pervasive AI Developer Contest

Prepare to elevate your AI game as I sit down with Prithvi Mattur, AMD's senior program manager and AI enthusiast, for a deep dive into the AMD Pervasive AI Developer Contest. Sharing her wisdom, Pritvi unveils how this contest is not just a battleground for tech savants but a nurturing ground for students and professionals looking to sharpen their skills and add a competitive edge to their resumes. Discover the synergistic culture at AMD that encourages innovation and provides mentorship, fostering the growth of the next wave of tech pioneers. This episode is brimming with details on the contest setup, the state-of-the-art AMD hardware at your disposal, and the myriad of project categories open for exploration. It's a call to action for all aspiring AI maestros to put their talents to the test.

Picture this: a prize pool of $160,000 and the chance to work with cutting-edge tech that could catapult your project to new heights. We discuss why this competition is a golden ticket for those who want to build experience, forge connections, and perhaps, above all, challenge themselves with a groundbreaking project. Don't let the February 29th deadline pass you by; act now, and you might just find yourself among the next generation of AI leaders. For the curious minds and fierce competitors out there, this episode is your gateway to a transformative journey in AI—join us and see where your innovation can take you.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, sam enthusiasts, welcome back to Cameron's Lab. Dive In the go-to podcast for Sam students. Craft it with passion by one of your own. I'm Cameron, your enthusiastic and ever curious host. Buckle up for today's insightful episode, ready to dive in? So, hi everyone, welcome back to Cameron's Lab. Today.

Speaker 1: 0:21

I am very excited to be joined by Pritvi Matour, so let me just tell you a little bit about her and why I'm so excited to have her today. So Pritvi Matour is an accomplished senior program manager in the AI group at AMD, where she has been instrumental in leading cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge AI technologies. With a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's in management, pritvi has developed a strong foundation in both technical and business domains. Pritvi is a certified product manager and a developer evangelist with extensive experience in product development and management. As well as advocating for new technology platforms, she is passionate about mentoring young minds perfect for Cameron's Lab and helping them develop their careers. Pritvi is also an accomplished Indian classical music teacher and enjoys sharing her love of music with her students. Pritvi, thank you so much for joining me. I'm excited to have you.

Speaker 2: 1:14

Thank you so much, cameron, for an amazing opportunity. We connected at World AI Festival at Cannes and then here we are, talking to your listeners and what an amazing, you know, way to start my week. Actually, I took a day off yesterday, so it's awesome. I'm saying, you know, thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1: 1:34

Oh, thank you for joining. So I think, just to let everybody else know for the purpose for today is that I wanted to introduce you to different things that you can do as a student to help not only just like bolster your CV, but then also help you develop skills. I think that's one of the things that we, as students, kind of struggle to find. So this is one of the things that I've managed to find. Thankfully, next to the World AI Conference and meeting Pritvi, is that AMD, which I'm sure you know and Pritvi will explain the company a bit more as well, is having a competition soon called AMD's Pervasive AI Developer Contest. So, pritvi, if you wouldn't mind explaining a little bit about AMD first and then the competition itself, Absolutely so.

Speaker 2: 2:12

Amd stands for Advanced Micro Devices, is a high performance and adaptive computing leader in the industry. So we have been in. We have like 25,000 plus employees around the globe, you know, developing high performance and adaptive computing technologies. That move us forward is we are best in the business and also we have an amazing work culture, amd's culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world's most important challenges right. So we strive for execution excellence while being direct, humble, collaborative and inclusive. So our company's vision is, again, as I said, high performance and adaptive computing, and also mission is to build great products that accelerate next generation. And we are leading AI technology.

Speaker 2: 3:03

And as part of AMD's developer program, you know we are thrilled to announce the launch of a worldwide developer contest. Again, when I say contest, don't get scared. This is a fantastic opportunity for developers, students, to showcase their technical skills, their creativity, you know, by crafting innovative AI projects, you know, using select AMD hardware. There are no specific criteria for participation. As long as individuals or technology enthusiasts, they are eligible to join. And if you are a student, this is cherry on the top, like it's. It's amazing, amazing, you know, opportunity to build your portfolio like AMD. And you are saying so what? What is this contest right like? This is a free contest where AMD will provide you the hardware for free. Participants can include students, professors. You don't have to belong to a certain college or university. You can actually, if you, if you know folks from different universities, you can make a team up to five. You can also include your professors. They can actually guide you. They can also be part of this amazing competition.

Speaker 2: 4:15

Again, we have three different categories here. Cams are like generative AI, robotics AI and PC AI. So under generative AI, we are offering two different pieces of hardware. One is our MI 210 GPU, which will be a cloud access or a radio, and GPU which will be sent to your doorstep. So again, this is hardware for free. You get to keep it and build the project and you don't have to return it if you build a project and submit it at the end. And for robotics AI, we have a robotic skid, kr260. And for PC AI, we will be shipping you mini PCs MDs, rise in AI power mini PCs. So I'll be sharing all the details about the contest with Cameron and she'll be able to post those details as well.

Speaker 2: 5:04

So we are running the contest on hacks to dot IO. Again, super, super simple process. You go on hacks to dot IO, register for the contest, read through the different categories that I just mentioned and I have listed. What are? What are we expecting on each of the categories? What are the design examples? What, what, what are the applications that you can build? Again, as I said, it doesn't have to be something like super, super new idea. You can actually work on something that has already been, you know, solved. But what is the delta that you're bringing in? That is what we are looking at, and how coveted you are and how business viable this ideas are. So that is what we are looking.

Speaker 2: 5:47

So, as going back to the process, right, you go to hacks to dot IO register, read through each of the categories and we have also created technical curriculum which will talk about MDs, hardware that we are giving away for free. Go, take a look at those and then, once you decide, hey, I want to apply for a generating via, I want to solve LLM, I want to build something you know, you know it may be a robot, depends on your areas of interest. So go read through those and then, once you wake up your mind, we have a very small a procedure where you need to submit your high-level Product idea or project idea, like he how are you going to use a MD's product Like what is the problem statement? What are the existing software that you already have? Like, what hardware that you're going to be using other than AMD? So very simple form that you need to fill out. Once you fill that out, and then there is a mandate request that you need to take, depending on the hardware that you choose or the categories that you choose. Once you Are done with that that that should be it like we will get your application. We have like a team of technical experts who will go through each of the applications and then provide your feedback. You know if we need more information, will contact you and then voila, like, if you are selected, we will ship you the hardware for free. You don't have to worry about anything. Once you receive the hardware, you will have to, and have to three months of time to build the project on top of it.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Let's say you have, you are stuck somewhere. Don't worry at all. It's not like we'll ship you the hardware for free and leave you out For you to figure out stuff. No, we have three discord channels, created for three different categories, and we have active technical experts who are Monitoring the discord channels and answering questions as and when it comes. So feel free to use those channels to ask any questions at any point of time. Even if you are not applied for hardware yet, but you have questions on something, feel free to Use those channels. We also have Multiple live Q&A sessions Starting from March, so have a look for that. So we will be posting the details soon so you can join the live Q&A, interact with AMD's technical experts and you know, have have any, you know. If you have any questions or if you're stuck with some problems, you can get it resolved. So so that is how the process works.

Speaker 2: 8:19

What happens? When you submit the project right, like, let's say, by end of June, you are like good to go. You Will have all, you have everything ready. You will submit the project. You will be eligible to win prize money worth of $160,000 in total. Like the first, top prize is $10,000 and multiple cash prizes for second and third prizes. If you are a university student, you will have an opportunity to participate in a special stream called a university program, which will be a $2,500 cash prize and I am a very big, you know flag bearer for women in technology. So if you are a group of female developers, you may be a student or you know professors you will be eligible for another special prize in women in technology worth of $2,500 USD. We have 700 pieces of hardware in total that we are offering as part of this developer contest.

Speaker 2: 9:16

Right, so what's in it for me? Why should I participate, right Like, why should I spend like three months of my time to engage with AMD's technical expert? Amd is a leading AI, leading in AI technology. You will be, as I said, you will have an opportunity to build your portfolio, like, for example, if you're a student, right, so you have to have something that is extra than your academics. Like, what's the extra delta that you have? Right Like, that's what if you are looking for an internship, if you are looking for a full-time job, that is what the companies look in.

Speaker 2: 9:57

So this is your opportunity to seize and build that port for you. It can be through LinkedIn and even, let's say, if you don't win any prize, right, like. And if your idea is something that our technical experts loved but needed more support from our side, even after the contest is over. We will make sure that we work with you and build that project and you can submit. And this is an open source project. Anybody can look at your work on Haxterio right. So there is no harm in participating.

Speaker 2: 10:29

And you will get to engage with developers worldwide. Like you know, like we have developers from USA, india, germany, france, columbia, everywhere. Like you will get to interact with them and see their work and get inspired. Last year, we had, like, a 13-year-old high school student participate in WinPrize. You know, like, we have developers from China participating. So again, like, how often will you get, you know, to work with such talented people from different parts of the world? Again, gain practical experience right, like by working on real-world challenges. Who knows? This can be your startup, the stepping stone to your startup. So multiple doors will open if you participate. And again, like, february 29 is the deadline for the hardware application that I just mentioned. Go to Haxterio. I'll share the details Register, apply for the hardware At any point of time. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me or use the Discord channels. Over to you, camdwell.

Speaker 1: 11:30

That sounds amazing and I think I really like to wrap it up to just kind of give a little bit more insights for students. So if you're a student, you know you're looking for different things to do. This, especially, is one of those opportunities where you can actually interact with a community. This definitely doesn't happen often because most of the time, if you're learning by yourself, you're just learning with YouTube videos. So at least in this case, you get to have a Discord channel and Camdwell have providing their technical specialists to be able to give you that support, and it just sounds like an amazing opportunity and I just think that I wanted to share it because I thought it was really cool and thank you, prit, for your time.

Speaker 2: 12:03

Absolutely If I were a student, because when I was growing up I wish I had such opportunities to interact with people or developers from different parts of the world like a community of developers, like I have seen from my past experiences. This is third or third year in a row. We don't even have to chime in Like AMD doesn't even have to chime in. The developers actually help each other and resolve the problem. What that's amazing to you know. See that community building you know. So I'm excited to see you know the, you know podcast listeners joining and, you know, getting the benefits of AMD's developer program.

Speaker 1: 12:42

I hope so as well. Well, thank you again. So much for your time. I'll leave it here and then I'll continue it for everybody else, okay, okay, so welcome back.

Speaker 1: 12:51

We've just heard from Pritvi about this exciting AMD pervasive AI developer contest. Now let's dive into why, as students, you should really consider participating in these kinds of competitions. Firstly, think about your CV. In the competitive job market of today, especially in the tech and engineering fields, having a standout CV is crucial, and in this kind of market, it's not just about your academics. It's more about what you can actually bring to the table. How are you applying what you know? Participating in a contest like AMD's not only gives you a unique talking point, but also shows potential employers that you're proactive, innovative and able to apply your knowledge in practical and real-world situations. It's one thing to excel in academics, but demonstrating that you can take that theoretical knowledge and use it to create something tangible, that's impressive. Moreover, this isn't just about adding a line to your CV. Like I said, it's about the skills that you'll gain In these competitions. You're not just coding or designing in a vacuum. You're problem-solving, often in a team, which means you're developing communication, teamwork and leadership skills, all highly thought-after by employers. The late-night's troubleshooting, the brainstorming sessions, the eureka moments these are the experiences that shape you as an engineer or developer. They are the stories that you'll share in job interviews, the challenges that will prepare you for your future career.

Speaker 1: 14:31

Now let's not forget the access to technology. This is my personal favorite part. Amd is providing participants with cutting-edge hardware for free. This is a big deal. As students, getting your hands on such advanced technology can be a game changer, even if you're not a student anymore. Just being able to access the technology is pretty exciting. It's an opportunity to work with tools that are being used in the industry right now, which means that you're getting a head start in understanding and mastering technologies that are relevant and in demand. As an advocate for personal projects, I'm especially excited because you get to keep the hardware afterwards. I know it can be hard to finance buying high-quality equipment like what they're providing, so I recommend hopping on while you can.

Speaker 1: 15:20

And yes, of course, there's the potential of winning prize money Quite a lot, actually. Let me just look at it one more time. I believe that the overall prize pot is worth about $160,000, but individual competitions, of course, will win different ones. There are three overall categories where you can apply your project to, and there are obviously different levels to each one. There's robotics, ai, generative AI and PC AI. Each one has the first, second and third-price prize, and the prize money for each of them is as follows First place is a $10,000 e-gift card, second place is a $5,000 one and third place is a $3,000 one, which is pretty cool. Even if you don't win, the experience that you'll gain is invaluable. Think about it You'll be working on a project that could be seen by industry professionals.

Speaker 1: 16:15

This contest is a platform where your work can get noticed. It's an opportunity to make connections, to get your foot in the door of the tech industry. You might be thinking what if I'm new to this? What if I don't have a team? That's the beauty of these contests they're not just for seasoned pros. They're for anyone with a passion for technology and a willingness to learn, and that's for teams. These contests are a great way for you to meet like-minded individuals. You can start the contest of a group of strangers and end it with a network of colleagues, mentors and maybe even future coworkers. You could even apply alone and treat it as a personal project that results in huge benefits for yourself and for my fellow women in STEM.

Speaker 1: 17:01

These competitions are a chance for us to stand out, to show the tech world what we're capable of. It's a chance to break stereotypes and pave the way for others who will follow in our footsteps. Perfectly already mentioned, but there's a Women in Technology Award that's worth $2,500. So what's stopping you To wrap it up?

Speaker 1: 17:23

Participating in contests like AMD's Pervasive AI Developer Contest isn't just about what you could win. It's about what you'll learn, the people you'll meet and the opportunity they could lead to. I mean, honestly, think of the cool tech that they're going to send you. How cool is that? I can't get over it. It's so cool. It's about, you know, stepping outside of your comfort zone and into a space where you can truly grow, both professionally and into a space where you can truly grow both professionally and personally.

Speaker 1: 17:56

I hope this conversation inspires you to take that leap and participate in these kind of opportunities. Remember, it's not just about building a project, it's about building your future and with that, I wish you all the best if you do participate in this contest. I'm glad to be able to have your. From that, I wish you all the best. If you do participate in the contest. I'm glad to have been able to bring this opportunity to my platform. Let me know what you think and if you're interested in applying for the competition. I'll be sure to have all the relevant information in the description. So be sure to click on any links that are there and let me know if you have any questions. Of course, it'll probably be easier as well if you just head over to AMD's website, searching to Google AMD's Pervasive AI Developer Contest. So, like I said, you can find it on their website, or also if you head to hacksrio. It should be there as well. A quick reminder the deadline to apply is February 29th, so be sure to get your applications in now, or at least start thinking about what you want to have as your project.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Okay, thank you for stepping into the lab. I'll see you next time. Bye-bye, hi again, awesome listener. That wraps up another deep dive of Cameron's Lab. Dive in. Before you dive back into your day, let's take a second to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Want to behind the scenes, look Bonus content or just some good old STEM fun? Follow me on my socials Instagram, tiktok and YouTube at Cameron's Lab and remember every episode is a new adventure and we've got some really dive lined up for you. Don't miss out. Until next time, stay curious and keep it for it.