As revealed by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Apple has been working on processors that would enable artificial intelligence applications to function in data centres.
According to WSJ, which cited people familiar with the topic, Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Centre), which has been in the works for several years, lacks a defined schedule.
The information was released following this week’s comments by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, who stated that Apple is powering servers with the new AI-based features of iOS 18 with both M2 Ultra and M4 CPUs.
With iOS 18 and other software improvements to be unveiled in June at WWDC 2024, the business is anticipated to launch some generative AI-based capabilities.
Additionally, Apple has been creating offline-operating language models of their own. Having online alternatives would be excellent for generating more accurate findings, though, as these models are more constrained.
Although it’s unclear if the iPhone maker’s efforts have paid off, the article stated that the company has been collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on the design and manufacturing of the chip.
According to WSJ, Apple’s server chip will probably concentrate on AI inference rather than training AI models, which is predicted to remain a domain dominated by Nvidia, an American chip manufacturer.
The method by which machine learning models have been taught to make inferences from fresh data is called inferences in AI.
CEO Tim Cook informed investors during Apple’s most recent quarterly earnings call on Thursday that the business will keep making investments in AI.
Cook, while on a tour of Southeast Asia and in Singapore with the intent to invest over $250 million to expand its campus said: “Singapore is truly a one-of-a-kind place, and we are proud of the connection we’ve built with this dynamic community of creators, learners, and dreamers.”
His firm is searching for expansion regions outside of China, which has historically been a bastion for its flagship iPhone, where sales are flagging.