Apple is delving into the realm of generative artificial intelligence to aid in the design of the chips that power their devices, as revealed by the company’s hardware chief, Johny Srouji. The utilization of AI is aimed at streamlining the chip design process, particularly as the complexity of chips continues to increase.
Srouji highlighted the potential of generative AI techniques in accelerating design work and enhancing productivity during a speech at an award ceremony hosted by Imec, a semiconductor research group. He emphasized Apple’s reliance on third-party software from electronic design automation (EDA) companies like Synopsys and Cadence, which are incorporating more AI features into their design tools.
Apple is embarking on a collaborative project with chip supplier Broadcom to develop their first AI server chip, internally known as “Baltra.” This endeavor forms part of Apple’s strategy to support advanced AI services on the backend, catering to features associated with Apple Intelligence. The company is striving to strike a balance between on-device AI processing and cloud-based AI capabilities, with the aim of bolstering user privacy while delivering powerful AI functionalities.
