Security first: AMD wants to integrate Rust deeply into its software stack
The chip developer AMD wants to integrate the Rust programming language much more deeply into its GPU software in the future and build its own development team for this purpose. This should significantly increase the safety of important components.
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The chip company says it is looking for a small, specialized team to integrate the programming language into as many areas of the GPU stack as possible. This includes, among other things, firmware, drivers, compilers and runtime environments. Harsh Meno, Senior Fellow at AMD, quit the initiative on LinkedIn. The goal is to bring Rust “deep into the GPU stack.” It’s not just about individual components, but also about the coordination of hardware and software as well as the development of the GPU architecture.
A currently advertised position for a software developer shows how seriously AMD is taking the project. In the description, the company describes Rust as a key technical direction for the next generation of its GPU system software. The area of responsibility ranges from compilers and runtime environments to hardware-related software and firmware to developer tools. According to AMD, Rust is explicitly not intended to be just a complementary technology.
Rather, the future employee should be involved in how the programming language is used in particularly safety-critical and performance-relevant parts of the GPU stack. This also includes compiler support, system interfaces, development processes and procedures for checking the software.
Long-term project
AMD apparently expects this to result in greater security and reliability for complex hardware-software systems. Rust has memory and type safety mechanisms that can prevent certain classes of programming errors at compile time. This can be particularly important for hardware-related software, as errors in drivers, firmware or other system components can have far-reaching consequences. At the same time, the job advertisement suggests that AMD is not only pursuing short-term projects.
The developers are also said to be working on a long-term architecture for how Rust can be used on current and upcoming AMD platforms. AMD is following a general trend in the chip industry. Nvidia is also working on integrating Rust into its GPU software. A prominent example is the Linux driver Nova, which is developed entirely or largely in Rust.
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