Apple is exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of its custom chips, according to Johny Srouji, the company’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies.
In private remarks made last month during an award ceremony in Belgium hosted by semiconductor research group Imec, Srouji emphasized the growing importance of advanced AI tools in managing the complexity of chip design. A recording of the speech was reviewed by Reuters.
Tracing Apple’s chip innovation journey from the A4 chip in 2010 to the cutting-edge silicon powering today’s Macs and Vision Pro headset, Srouji highlighted the critical role of electronic design automation (EDA) firms. Industry leaders Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys are currently racing to integrate AI capabilities into their tools.
“Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work done in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost,” said Srouji, underscoring Apple’s intent to stay at the forefront of semiconductor innovation by leveraging emerging technologies.
He also reflected on Apple’s bold decision to switch its Mac lineup from Intel processors to in-house Apple Silicon in 2020, revealing there was no fallback plan in case of failure. “It was a huge bet for us. There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan — we went all in,” he said.
The remarks signal Apple’s growing focus on AI not only in software and user features but also as a strategic tool in core hardware development.
