Apple wants to develop new processors using AI

By Alimat Aliyeva

Apple is actively exploring the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the design process of its own chips. This was revealed by Johnny Srouji, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, Azernews reports.

Speaking at an event in Belgium, where he received an award from the Imec semiconductor research group, Srouji detailed the company's growing interest in leveraging AI for chip design. The speech was covered and summarized by Reuters.

Srouji emphasized the transformative potential of generative AI in dramatically speeding up chip development and enhancing overall performance. He specifically highlighted the progress made by companies like Cadence and Synopsys, both of which are actively integrating AI technologies into their chip design software.

This announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of Apple’s position in the consumer AI space. While competitors such as Google and OpenAI frequently dominate headlines with AI breakthroughs, Apple’s proprietary AI offerings have yet to reach similar prominence. Srouji’s remarks suggest that Apple may be pursuing a more strategic, behind-the-scenes approach—using AI primarily to innovate internally, especially in chip development, rather than focusing solely on AI-powered consumer features.

During his speech, Srouji also reflected on Apple’s silicon journey—from the launch of the first A4 chip in 2010 to the current generation of processors. He praised Apple’s bold decision in 2020 to transition Mac computers from Intel processors to its own Apple Silicon, calling it a “huge bet” for the company. He explained that Apple had no fallback plan or product line separation during the transition and was fully committed to the change, which required an enormous software development effort.

Tech outlet MacRumors described this transition as an unequivocal success, noting significant gains in Mac performance, longer battery life, and reduced heat generation thanks to Apple’s proprietary chips.

Looking forward, Apple’s integration of AI in chip design could accelerate the pace of innovation across its product lines, potentially leading to faster, more energy-efficient processors that further solidify Apple’s competitive edge in hardware technology.