Apple is beginning to use generative artificial intelligence to help design the chips that power its devices. The company’s hardware chief, Johny Srouji, made that clear during a speech last month in Belgium. He said Apple is exploring AI as a way to save time and reduce complexity in chip design, especially as chips grow more advanced.
“Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost,” Srouji said. He was speaking while receiving an award from Imec, a semiconductor research group that works with major chipmakers around the world.
He also mentioned how much Apple depends on third-party software from electronic design automation (EDA) companies. The tools are key to developing the company’s chips. Synopsys and Cadence, two of the biggest EDA firms, are both working to add more AI into their design tools.
From the A4 to Vision Pro: A design timeline
Srouji’s remarks offered a rare glimpse into Apple’s internal process. He walked through Apple’s journey, starting with the A4 chip in the iPhone 4, launched in 2010. Since then, Apple has built a range of custom chips, including those used in the iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. The company also developed the chips that run the Vision Pro headset.
He said that while hardware is important, the real challenge lies in design. Over time, chip design has become more complex and now requires tight coordination between hardware and software. Srouji said AI has the potential to make that coordination faster and more reliable.
Why Apple is working with Broadcom on server chips
In late 2024, Apple began a quiet project with chip supplier Broadcom to develop its first AI server chip. The processor, known internally as “Baltra,” is said to be part of Apple’s larger plan to support more AI services on the back end. That includes features tied to Apple Intelligence, the company’s new suite of AI tools for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Baltra is expected to power Apple’s private cloud infrastructure. Unlike devices that run AI locally, this chip will sit in servers, likely inside Apple’s own data centres. It would help handle heavier AI workloads that are too much for on-device chips.
On-device vs. cloud: Apple’s AI infrastructure split
Apple is trying to balance user privacy with the need for more powerful AI features. Some of its AI tools will run directly on devices. Others will use server-based chips like Baltra. The setup is part of what Apple calls “Private Cloud Compute.”
The company says users won’t need to sign in, and data will be kept anonymous. But the approach depends on having a solid foundation of hardware – both in devices and in the cloud. That’s where chips like Baltra come in. Building its own server chips would give Apple more control over performance, security, and integration.
No backup plan: A pattern in Apple’s hardware strategy
Srouji said Apple is used to taking big hardware risks. When the company moved its Mac lineup from Intel to Apple Silicon in 2020, it didn’t prepare a backup plan.
“Moving the Mac to Apple Silicon was a huge bet for us. There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan, so we went all in, including a monumental software effort,” he said.
The same mindset now seems to apply to Apple’s AI chips. Srouji said the company is willing to go all in again, trusting that AI tools can make the chip design process faster and more precise.
EDA firms like Synopsys and Cadence shape the roadmap
While Apple designs its own chips, it depends heavily on tools built by other companies. Srouji mentioned how important EDA vendors are to Apple’s chip efforts. Cadence and Synopsys are both updating their software to include more AI features.
Synopsys recently introduced a product called AgentEngineer. It uses AI agents to help chip designers automate repetitive tasks and manage complex workflows. The idea is to let human engineers focus on higher-level decisions. The changes could make it easier for companies like Apple to speed up chip development.
Cadence is also expanding its AI offerings. Both firms are in a race to meet the needs of tech companies that want faster and cheaper ways to design chips.
What comes next: Talent, testing, and production
As Apple adds more AI into its chip design, it will need to bring in new kinds of talent. That includes engineers who can work with AI tools, as well as people who understand both hardware and machine learning.
At the same time, chips like Baltra still need to be tested and manufactured. Apple will likely continue to rely on partners like TSMC for chip production. But the design work is moving more in-house, and AI is playing a bigger role in that shift.
How Apple integrates these AI-designed chips into products and services remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the company is trying to tighten its control over the full stack – hardware, software, and now the infrastructure that powers AI.
