Apple Inc has been developing a homegrown chip to run artificial intelligence (AI) tools in data centers, although it is unclear if the semiconductor would ever be deployed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The effort would build on Apple’s previous efforts to make in-house chips, which run in its iPhones, Macs and other devices, according to the Journal, which cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.
The server project is code-named ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center) within the company, aiming to utilize Apple’s expertise in chip design for the company’s server infrastructure, the newspaper said.
Photo: AFP
While this initiative has been in progress for several years, the exact timeline or potential release date remains uncertain, the report said.
The Cupertino, California-based company has been playing catch-up with its peers in generative AI, the technology underpinning chatbots and other popular new tools. The company is preparing to unveil a new strategy for AI at its Worldwide Developers Conference next month.
“We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we’re making significant investments,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Reuters last week.
Apple’s server chip would primarily focus on running AI models, a process known as inference, rather than training AI models.
The company has been working closely with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) to design and initiate production of the chips, although it is uncertain if the collaboration has delivered definitive results, the Journal reported.
Apple’s approach is expected to focus on new proactive features that can assist users in their daily lives. The company also has held talks with potential partners like Alphabet Inc’s Google and OpenAI to supply generative AI services.
If Apple goes ahead with its own server processor, it would follow several of the largest tech companies in doing so. Amazon.com Inc’s Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft Corp and Meta Platforms Inc all operate data centers that run on in-house designed semiconductors to some extent. Such efforts have eroded the traditional dominance of Intel Corp’s components.
Meanwhile, Apple planned to hold a virtual event yesterday in which it is expected to show new iPad models, some of which could come with a new chip aimed at speeding up AI tasks carried out on the devices.
Creative Strategies Inc analyst Carolina Milanesi said upgraded iPads could be a way for Apple to get new chips onto the market ahead of its developer conference next month, where it might reveal more about how it plans to address AI.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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