Apple reportedly working on its own chips for use in AI servers

Hot on the heels of huge success in designing its own custom chips for use in Macs, iPhones, iPads, and more, Apple is now reportedly turning its attention to designing the chips that will power its future AI endeavors. Apple is strongly thought to be working on new AI features for the iPhone and its other platforms and while some of the large language models and other components will run on those devices, a server in the cloud will also be required for some features. Now, it's thought Apple is working to design the chips that will power those servers.

That's according to a poster on the Weibo Chinese social network, at least. The user is said to have 25 years of experience in the integrated circuit industry, including work on the famous Intel Pentium chips, and suggests that the new AI server chips will be based on TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process. That process is already used to produce Apple's M3 Mac and future iPad chips as well as the A17 Pro that powers its best iPhones.

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TSMC has long been a key partner in Apple's supply chain and is already producing some of its most important chips, including those that power the new Apple Vision Pro spatial computer. That means it's the obvious choice to produce future AI server components as well, and it's easy to see why Apple might want to go that route. By designing its own chips Apple can ensure that it has full control over what they can do and how they work. It's a process that has stood Apple in good stead in other products, and there is little reason why it won't do the same server-side.

As MacRumors notes, this leaker does have a strong record going all the way back to the iPhone 7, so there is little reason to believe this report isn't accurate.

As for Apple's AI plans, they're expected to come into focus when the company previews the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates at the WWDC opening keynote event on June 10. The upcoming iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro software are also expected to be shown off at the same event. However, users will have to wait before they can try out any new AI features - the new software is unlikely to be made available to the public until around the middle of September after a months-long beta program.