On May 7, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Apple has partnered with TSMC to independently develop AI chips for data center servers.
Insiders reveal that the internal code name for this server project is ACDC, which stands for Apple Chips in Data Center. Apple will leverage its expertise in chip development to create server chips.
According to WSJ, Apple’s server chips are expected to focus on running AI models (known as AI inference) rather than training them. NVIDIA is likely to continue dominating the AI model training market.
The market is closely watching Apple’s approach to the AI market and how its collaboration with TSMC will affect the AI arms race. This also signifies that Apple will simultaneously develop its own AI computing software.
Sources say that the ACDC project has been underway for several years, and it is currently unclear when the new chips will be released. Apple plans to unveil several AI products at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, but an Apple spokesperson declined to comment.
The sources note that Apple has worked closely with TSMC on design and initial production, but it is unclear if they have achieved definitive results. Apple’s server chips come at an opportune moment, as rivals like Microsoft and Meta have already invested billions and rapidly adjusted their businesses around generative AI following the explosive rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
WSJ points out that Google may have the most mature internal AI server chip products, having started developing its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) in 2013. However, among major tech giants, Apple has the longest and most successful history of custom chip design, having applied its processors to iPhones and iPads since 2010.
Related:
Disclaimer: This article is created by the original author. The content of the article represents their personal opinions. Our reposting is for sharing and discussion purposes only and does not imply our endorsement or agreement. If you have any objections, please contact us through the provided channels.
