Apple ventures deeper into AI with own data center chip

Apple is reportedly delving deeper into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), with plans to develop its own chip specifically tailored for running AI software in data centers. According to sources familiar with the matter cited by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the tech giant‍‍`s internal project, dubbed Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center), seeks to harness its prowess in chip design to enhance its server infrastructure.

Over recent years, Apple has carved out a significant presence in the chip design arena, riding on the success of its semiconductors powering iPhones, iPads, and Mac laptops. Now, the focus appears to be on extending this expertise to the realm of data centers and AI.

The anticipated server chip from Apple is expected to be optimized for running AI models, particularly inference tasks, as opposed to the training of AI models, an arena currently dominated by Nvidia, as per the WSJ report.

This move comes amid mounting pressure on Apple to accelerate the rollout of AI services. Just last week, CEO Tim Cook hinted at the company‍‍`s upcoming AI-powered features, signaling a robust commitment to the technology. "We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI and we‍‍`re making significant investments," Cook remarked in an interview with Reuters.

The timing seems ripe for such developments, with Apple slated to host a virtual event on Tuesday, where it‍‍`s speculated to unveil new iPad models. Some of these devices could house the speculated new chip, aimed at bolstering AI capabilities on the gadgets.

While Project ACDC has been underway for several years, there remains uncertainty regarding the timeline for unveiling the new chip, if it sees the light of day at all, the WSJ report noted.

Apple‍‍`s collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has been instrumental in the design and potential production of these chips. However, the report indicates that the outcome of this partnership remains uncertain, highlighting the complexity and challenges inherent in such endeavors.