Apple Inc. might be ready to use artificial intelligence to speed up the creation of the chips that make its devices tick. In a speech at the ITF World Conference in Belgium, Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, dropped a bombshell: AI could be the game-changer they've been looking for in chip design. It sounds like Apple might be pulling the trigger on using AI more extensively to help its engineers design chips faster, but hey, they’ve been using it already, at least in some form.
Generative AI
"EDA companies are essential in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said. And it’s not just any AI; they're looking at generative AI, which promises to deliver more design in less time. Productivity boost? You bet! This move might not only streamline Apple’s engineering teams but also cut down on the time it takes to develop custom chips.
Now, it gets juicier. Two big names in electronic design automation (EDA), Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys, are already toying with AI in their design tools, meaning Apple could be joining the AI chip design revolution. But don’t think they’re late to the party. Apple has been working AI into its designs for years with the help of third-party EDA companies. But now, the company is apparently ready to do more on its own.
Apple’s Custom Chips
You know that M1 chip in your Mac? Or the processor in the Vision Pro headset? Yep, those came from Apple’s own custom chips. Now they’re eyeing AI to make future chips even better, faster, and more efficient. If this new AI-driven strategy works out, Apple’s engineering teams will be able to speed up their chip design process without sacrificing quality. And for a tech giant that has always prided itself on pushing the limits of innovation, that’s a big deal.
AI in Chip Design - Apple Is Not Alone
While Apple is just getting serious about leveraging AI for its chip designs, they’re not the only ones on the AI bandwagon. Synopsys, a third-party company Apple has relied on for years, has been using AI and machine learning for chip design.
The company itself has stated that generative AI could help create entirely new ways to design chips, which Apple already depends on. So, even though Apple’s going full throttle with AI, they’re tapping into a technology that’s already reshaping the industry.
Andrew Madison
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