Apple Inc is to deliver some of its upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) features this year via data centers equipped with its in-house processors, as part of a sweeping effort to infuse its devices with AI capabilities.
The company is placing high-end chips — similar to ones it designed for the Mac — in cloud computing servers designed to process the most advanced AI tasks coming to Apple devices, people familiar with the matter said.
Simpler AI-related features would be processed directly on iPhones, iPads and Macs, they said, asking not to be identified because the plan is still under wraps.
Photo: AP
The move is part of Apple’s much-anticipated push into generative AI — the technology behind ChatGPT and other popular tools.
The company is playing catch-up with big tech rivals in the area, but is poised to lay out an ambitious AI strategy at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.
Apple’s plan to use its own chips and process AI tasks in the cloud was hatched about three years ago, but the company accelerated the timeline after the AI craze — fueled by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini — forced it to move more quickly.
The first AI server would use the M2 Ultra chip, which was launched last year as part of the Mac Pro and Mac Studio computers, though the company is already eyeing future versions based on the M4 chip.
Relatively simple AI tasks — such as providing users a summary of their missed iPhone notifications or incoming text messages — could be handled by the chips inside of Apple devices.
More complicated jobs, such as generating images or summarizing lengthy news articles and creating long-form responses in e-mails, would likely require the cloud-based approach — as would an upgraded version of Apple’s Siri voice assistant.
The move, coming as part of Apple’s iOS 18 rollout in the fall, represents a shift for the company.
For years, Apple prioritized on-device processing, touting it as a better way to ensure security and privacy.
However, the components inside the processors can already safeguard user privacy, said people involved in the creation of the Apple server, called “Project ACDC” (Apple Chips in Data Centers). Apple uses an approach called Secure Enclave that can isolate data from a security breach.
For now, Apple is planning to use its own data centers to operate the cloud features, but it would eventually rely on outside facilities — as it does with iCloud and other services.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on some aspects of the server plan.
Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri hinted at the approach on an earnings call last week.
“We have our own data center capacity and then we use capacity from third parties,” Maestri said after being asked about the company’s AI infrastructure.
“It’s a model that has worked well for us historically, and we plan to continue along the same lines going forward,” he said.
SETBACK: Apple’s India iPhone push has been disrupted after Foxconn recalled hundreds of Chinese engineers, amid Beijing’s attempts to curb tech transfers Apple Inc assembly partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known internationally as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), has recalled about 300 Chinese engineers from a factory in India, the latest setback for the iPhone maker’s push to rapidly expand in the country. The extraction of Chinese workers from the factory of Yuzhan Technology (India) Private Ltd, a Hon Hai component unit, in southern Tamil Nadu state, is the second such move in a few months. The company has started flying in Taiwanese engineers to replace staff leaving, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named, as the
The prices of gasoline and diesel at domestic fuel stations are to rise NT$0.1 and NT$0.4 per liter this week respectively, after international crude oil prices rose last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to rise to NT$27.3, NT$28.8 and NT$30.8 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$26.2 per liter at CPC stations and NT$26 at Formosa pumps, they said. The announcements came after international crude oil prices
SinoPac Financial Holdings Co (永豐金控) is weighing whether to add a life insurance business to its portfolio, but would tread cautiously after completing three acquisitions in quick succession, president Stanley Chu (朱士廷) said yesterday. “We are carefully considering whether life insurance should play a role in SinoPac’s business map,” Chu told reporters ahead of an earnings conference. “Our priority is to ensure the success of the deals we have already made, even though we are tracking some possible targets.” Local media have reported that Mercuries Life Insurance Co (三商美邦人壽), which is seeking buyers amid financial strains, has invited three financial
CAUTION: Right now, artificial intelligence runs on faith, not productivity and eventually, the risk of a bubble will emerge,’ TIER economist Gordon Sun said Taiwanese manufacturers turned more optimistic last month, ending a five-month streak of declining sentiment as concerns over US tariffs, currency volatility and China’s overcapacity began to ease, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) said yesterday. The manufacturing business confidence index rose 1.17 points from June to 86.8, its first rebound since February. TIER economist Gordon Sun (孫明德) attributed the uptick to fading trade uncertainties, a steadier New Taiwan dollar and reduced competitive pressure from Chinese producers. Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is unlikely to face significant damage from Washington’s ongoing probe into semiconductors, given the US’ reliance on Taiwanese chips to power artificial
RSS