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Apple has been quietly developing new AI chips for “several years” to power data centers under the codename Project ACDC, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the project.Unsurprisingly, the project isn’t actually affiliated with the famous rock band. It stands for Apple Chips in Data Center. The chips are likely being designed for inference—running existing AI models—as opposed to AI training. It’s also possible Apple may never announce these new chips publicly even if they are rolled out to data centers, according to the report. PCMag has reached out to Apple for comment.Why do more AI chips matter? As big tech firms like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta all develop their own energy-intensive AI models, it’s possible demand for AI chips, supercomputers, and data centers could continue to grow. Some researchers predict that increased AI development could lead to an energy crisis as utilities firms are slow to add new power sources to the grid to get more data centers up and running. If Apple decides to produce these chips in the US, it could also help turn the US into a leading chip manufacturer. Other firms are already getting billions in government subsidies to manufacture advanced chips in the country—like Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and Micron—as the Biden administration continues to bar high-end chip exports to China.During Apple’s quarterly earnings call last week, CEO Tim Cook reiterated the tech giant’s commitment to AI, calling it “transformative.” Cook also claims that Apple has its own “advantages” when it comes to AI development. The company has acquired about two dozen AI startups in the past decade, some of which are now reportedly working at a secretive Apple AI “Vision Lab” in Switzerland.
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Apple is also reportedly working on two different AI-powered robotics products in early research stages. Some expect the tech giant to announce an M4 chip with AI enhancements for its laptops and computers as the M3’s successor. AI revamps could be on the horizon for Apple’s AI assistant Siri and its search feature Spotlight. Apple’s rumored iPhone AI features may also be small enough to run fully on-device, meaning they wouldn’t require an internet connection or the use of massive data centers. Apple hasn’t confirmed any of these reports yet, but researchers at the company did officially announce its OpenELM model last month. Apple is expected to make some AI-related announcements at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June, and there’s a chance it could also hint at or share some of its AI plans during its “Let Loose” event May 7.
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