Apple Explores Generative AI for Chip Design: A Boost to Silicon Innovation

Apple explores using generative AI to design its chips -- executive says 'it can be a huge productivity boost'

Generative AI in EDA tools will help Apple's silicon design teams run faster and more efficiently. An Apple executive says that the company is looking to use generative artificial intelligence to help design the custom chips used in its product lines. According to Reuters, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji said that the company learned that it needs to use the latest, cutting-edge tools when designing its chips. This includes the use of AI in electronic design automation (EDA) software, which industry giants Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys have been racing to add to their offerings. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said at the Belgian research and development organization Imec. "Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost." The news follows a report from China where researchers claim to have developed the world's first AI-designed processor, using an LLM to create a CPU architecture. Imec, which began as a collaborative research initiative between Belgian academic institutions but has since evolved into a nanoelectronics and digital technology research hub, honored Srouji with its 2025 Innovation Award for his work in the development of Apple Silicon, starting with the development of the A4 chip -- Apple's first custom system-on-a-chip. What began as a custom processor for iPhones and iPads has eventually evolved into the M-series SoC that powers Apple's Mac lineup, which was first launched in 2020. This was the biggest change in consumer computing in recent years, with Apple using the Arm architecture to challenge x86's domination in the desktops and laptops. More than that, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M1) delivered a far-improved battery life and performance that its peers struggled to match. Apple went all-in with the M1 chip at launch, said Srouji, "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." After all, despite delivering high performance, M-series SoCs would not have worked out without widespread software support from Apple and many third-party software developers. Part of this 'monumental software effort' was the development of the Rosetta 2 translation layer, which allowed x86 apps to run on Apple's Arm chips at the price of a tiny performance penalty. Despite its flaws, AI is slowly gaining widespread popularity for use, both by the general public and in specific scenarios, like EDA. Many companies are already using this technology to enhance their processes, and Nvidia is even building an industrial AI cloud in Germany to give European manufacturing companies a taste of AI computing power.

Apple eyes using AI to design its chips, technology executive says

SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab is interested in tapping generative artificial intelligence to help speed up the design of the custom chips at the heart of its devices, its top hardware technology executive said in private remarks last month. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers. In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple's development of custom chips from the first A4 chip in an iPhone in 2010 to the most recent chips that power Mac desktop computers and the Vision Pro headset. He said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms. The two biggest players in that industry - Cadence Design Systems (CDNS.O), opens new tab and Synopsys (SNPS.O), opens new tab - have been racing to add artificial intelligence to their offerings. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said in his remarks. "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 another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back. When Apple transitioned its Mac computers - its oldest active product line - from Intel's chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work. "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," Srouji said. Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie Freed Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Apple is exploring how generative AI can boost chip development - 9to5Mac

Johny Srouji, Apple's top chip executive revealed recently in a private event that the company is exploring the use of generative AI to help speed up the design process for its custom silicon. Here's what he said, as reported by Reuters. In a recent speech at an event hosted by the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (imec) in Belgium, where he received an award, Apple SVP of Hardware Technologies said the company sees "high potential" in using AI as part of its chip design workflow. According to Reuters, which had access to a recording of the speech, Srouji remarked that AI-assisted tools could offer "a huge productivity boost" by letting Apple get "more design work done in less time." Apple already leans heavily on industry-standard EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools from companies like Cadence and Synopsys to handle the complexity of its chip development process. Both vendors have been racing to bake generative AI features into their platforms, helping customers automate and speed up layout and verification tasks that would traditionally require manual engineering work. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said. Given that both Cadence and Synopsys have long collaborated with imec on advanced chip research, the event offered a fitting (and yes, PR-friendly) stage for Srouji to underscore Apple's own ambitions in the AI-for-silicon space, and the important role its partners play in that effort. Still, that's good news. Srouji's speech also offered a rare look behind the scenes on how Apple approached its historic transition from Intel-based Macs to Apple Silicon back in 2020. He described it as a "huge bet" with no fallback option: "There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan," he said. "So we went all in, including a monumental software effort." In the end, Srouji's remarks don't come as a big surprise, as other companies have also been exploring how generative AI could accelerate silicon design. However, as Apple was admittedly caught flat-footed with the public-facing possibilities offered by generative AI, it's encouraging to see the company exploring how recent advancements in the technology can also improve its internal engineering workflows.

Apple Considers Using Generative AI for Faster Apple Silicon Design

Apple is investigating generative AI to accelerate its custom chip design, according to remarks by hardware chief Johny Srouji last month. Srouji outlined the company's interest in AI-assisted chip design during a speech in Belgium, where he received an award from semiconductor research group Imec. Reuters was able to review a recording of his remarks. "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 also talked about the role of electronic design automation companies like Cadence and Synopsys, which he said are "critical in supporting our chip design complexities." Both companies are said to be racing to integrate AI into their chip design software. The news comes as Apple faces scrutiny over its perceived lag in consumer-facing AI. While competitors like Google and OpenAI have dominated headlines, Apple Intelligence has struggled to match rival offerings. Srouji's comments suggest Apple may be taking a more holistic approach - leveraging AI behind the scenes for chip development rather than focusing solely on user-facing features. During his speech, Srouji traced Apple's silicon journey from the first A4 chip in 2010 to today's processors, and took time to underline Apple's bold decision-making during the 2020 Mac transition from Intel to Apple Silicon. "Moving the Mac to Apple Silicon was a huge bet for us," he explained. "There was no backup plan, no split-the lineup plan, so we went all in, including a monumental software effort." By all accounts, the transition was an unqualified success, bringing dramatic gains in performance-per-watt, battery life, thermal efficiency, and software compatibility achieved by Apple's M-series chips.

Apple's chip chief says he wants AI chip design, but he already has it

Apple's Johny Srouji during a hardware presentation - Image Credit: Apple While getting an industry award, Apple Silicon chief Johny Srouji said that he wants generative AI to design chips, which has been blown out of proportion to mean that Apple hasn't ever used AI to do so. This is, of course, nonsense. On Thursday, reports started to circulate about Apple and an intention to use generative AI to design the chips used in its products. Stemming from a speech at Imec in May, Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji made comments about the use of machine learning to design chips. A video of the speech, seen by Reuters has Srouji explaining Apple's design of custom chips, going back to the A4 and up to modern-day chips like the M4 processor line. Srouji's comments have been taken to mean that Apple wants to start using artificial intelligence for the first time to make it quicker for its engineering teams to design the chips. In fact, it's something Apple has already been doing in some capacity for many years. The Apple executive was at the ITF World conference in Antwerp, Belgium in late May. He was being given an innovation award from Imec, an electronics and technology research group, for his role in developing Apple's chip technology roadmap. Srouji is said to have covered the main beats of Apple's custom chip development. A key lesson Apple learned along the way, likely decades ago, was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips. For this, Srouji said this included using the most up-to-date chip design software, provided by electronic design automation (EDA) firms. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," remarked Srouji. "Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost." Those two comments together could be conflated to mean that Apple wants to use generative AI to design its chips. The reality is somewhat different. Part of the problem with the reporting of Srouji's comments is the awareness of how chips are designed and made. While it is generally understood that Apple designs the chips which are then made by foundries owned by supply chain partner TSMC, the actual design element is still wrapped up in mystery. Outside of the benefits of new chip designs being explained each fall during an iPhone launch, a map of a chip's sections, and some vague hardware lab scenery, Apple doesn't go into the detail of how a chip is produced internally. As Srouji's comments demonstrate, part of this process involves software from EDA companies. Humans are involved, but EDA software is needed for a lot of the process. Engineering teams start by determining the specifications of the chip, followed by the architecture design that maps out where elements like processor cores and memory are placed and how data should flow through the chip. Where the EDA software comes in is to create the actual circuit design for the chip. This can include the layout of connections, as well as simulating testing before committing to a physical version. Given the M4 chip has 28 billion transistors made using a 3-nanometer process, mapping this out by hand would require an army of engineers working together for years -- the proverbial infinite monkeys on infinite keyboards. Using automation tools means that software works on the design, and repeatedly do so if there are any issues or changes requested by engineers. This on its own is using a machine learning system to design chips. Apple has already been using machine learning -- literally AI -- to design its chips. And, it has done so for years. However, companies like EDA software supplier Synopsys are working to make AI more of a driver of chip design. This involves an expansion of what is already being performed, such as by allowing EDA software to come up with new solutions to reduce power consumption. Synopsys thinks that using generative AI could help create brand new ways to design chips that conventional thinking wouldn't come up with. To a company like Apple, which relies on such innovations, this would be an improvement it would be willing to try. While the reporting may tap into the continual fear of AI taking creative agency away from people and replacing jobs, it's not the case here. By using EDA software to design chips, Apple is already using AI as part of its production process. There aren't going to be significant job losses or restructuring of hardware lines to introduce generative AI. Apple is already in a position that enables the increased use of AI in chip designs. Not just from it being better than humans, but from necessity prompted by the sheer scale of the task. Full AI design certainly is a thing that Apple has already started to explore, and has done so for years. The generative AI talk is merely being open to expanding what it already has at its disposal.

Apple Eyeing Using AI to Design its Chips, Technology Executive Says

Srouji said EDA companies are critical on chip design complexities Apple is interested in tapping generative artificial intelligence to help speed up the design of the custom chips at the heart of its devices, its top hardware technology executive said in private remarks last month. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers. In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple's development of custom chips from the first A4 chip in an iPhone in 2010 to the most recent chips that power Mac desktop computers and the Vision Pro headset. He said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms. The two biggest players in that industry - Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys - have been racing to add artificial intelligence to their offerings. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said in his remarks. "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 another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back. When Apple transitioned its Mac computers - its oldest active product line - from Intel's chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work. "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," Srouji said.

Apple eyes using AI to design its chips, technology executive says

Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers.Apple is interested in tapping generative artificial intelligence to help speed up the design of the custom chips at the heart of its devices, its top hardware technology executive said in private remarks last month. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers. In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple's development of custom chips from the first A4 chip in an iPhone in 2010 to the most recent chips that power Mac desktop computers and the Vision Pro headset. He said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms. The two biggest players in that industry - Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys - have been racing to add artificial intelligence to their offerings. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said in his remarks. "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 another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back. When Apple transitioned its Mac computers - its oldest active product line - from Intel's chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work. "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," Srouji said.

Apple Hardware Executive Says iPhone Maker Plans To Use AI For Speeding Up Custom Chip Design: 'High Potential In Getting More Design Work In Less Time' - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS)

Apple Inc. AAPL is reportedly looking to harness the power of generative artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of the custom chips that power its devices, according to senior executive Johny Srouji. What Happened: During a speech in Belgium last month, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, Srouji, said the company is exploring generative AI to streamline chip design, calling it a major productivity opportunity, reported Reuters on Wednesday. "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, according to a recording reviewed by the publication. He made the remarks while accepting an award from Imec, a prominent semiconductor R&D organization. See Also: Iran Says WhatsApp A Tool For Israeli Surveillance -- Meta Hits Back, Calling It 'False Reports' During his speech, Srouji highlighted that electronic design automation (EDA) firms like Cadence Design Systems CDNS and Synopsys Inc. SNPS -- both racing to integrate AI -- are critical to managing the complexity of Apple's chip development. Srouji also reflected on Apple's bold move in 2020 to replace Intel Corp INTC chips in Mac computers with its own Apple Silicon. He said that it was a major takeaway from Apple's chip development journey was the importance of making bold decisions and moving forward without hesitation. "There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan, so we went all in," he said. "Including a monumental software effort." Why It's Important: Last month, it was reported that Apple is developing new chips to power upcoming smart glasses, AI servers and future Macs. Apple aims to launch it by 2026-2027. Meanwhile, the M5 chip, built on the advanced 3nm N3P architecture, has reportedly entered mass production and is expected to enhance the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro -- especially with upcoming Apple Intelligence features. Price Action: Apple shares have declined 19.38% year-to-date and are down 8.26% over the past 12 months. On Wednesday, the stock rose 0.48% during regular trading but dipped 0.26% after hours, per Benzinga Pro data. Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings reflect a steady downward trend for Apple across the short, medium, and long term. Additional performance insights are available here. Read Next: Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Dangled '$100 Million Signing Bonuses' To OpenAI Team Members, Says Sam Altman: Happy 'None' Of Our Best People Took Them Photo Courtesy: Prathmesh T on Shutterstock.com Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. AAPLApple Inc$196.060.21%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum24.41Growth32.79Quality80.17Value9.24Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewCDNSCadence Design Systems Inc$296.84-0.72%INTCIntel Corp$21.463.17%SNPSSynopsys Inc$473.08-0.49%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Apple Eyes Generative AI to Accelerate Custom Chip Design, Says Senior Executive

Generative AI is seen as a major productivity tool in semiconductor design. Apple is reportedly exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline and accelerate the design of its custom silicon, a senior executive revealed last month. Johny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies at Apple, highlighted the initiative during a speech in Belgium, where he received an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers. Also Read: Apple Announces Over USD 500 Billion US Investment, Expands AI and Manufacturing Efforts In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple's journey in chip development from the introduction of the A4 chip in 2010 to the most recent chips now powering Mac computers and the Vision Pro headset. He emphasized that embracing the most advanced tools available has been central to Apple's success in semiconductor design. He reportedly said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji was quoted as saying, referring to electronic design automation tools provided by industry leaders such as Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys. Both firms are currently integrating AI capabilities into their platforms, positioning themselves at the forefront of the next wave in chip design. "Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost," he added, signaling Apple's interest in leveraging the technology to manage increasingly complex design requirements. Srouji reportedly said another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back. When Apple transitioned its Mac computers - its oldest active product line - from Intel's chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work. "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 reportedly said. The comments offer rare insight into Apple's internal approach to semiconductor innovation and its willingness to adopt emerging technologies such as AI to maintain its competitive edge in hardware design.

Apple eyes using AI to design its chips, technology executive says

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple is interested in tapping generative artificial intelligence to help speed up the design of the custom chips at the heart of its devices, its top hardware technology executive said in private remarks last month. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world's biggest chipmakers. In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple's development of custom chips from the first A4 chip in an iPhone in 2010 to the most recent chips that power Mac desktop computers and the Vision Pro headset. He said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms. The two biggest players in that industry, Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys, have been racing to add artificial intelligence to their offerings. "EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities," Srouji said in his remarks. "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 another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back. When Apple transitioned its Mac computers, its oldest active product line, from Intel's chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work. "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," Srouji said.

Apple interested in using AI to design custom chips- Reuters, citing exec By Investing.com

Investing.com-- Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is interested in using generative artificial intelligence to help design its custom chips, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing recent comments from a top executive in the technology giant. Reuters reported that Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, said as much during a speech in Belgium last month. Srouji touted the potential for gen AI to support designing Apple's custom chips, which are at the heart of the company's flagship devices. Srouji said that Apple attempted to always use the most cutting-edge technology available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation firms. Cadence Design (NASDAQ:CDNS) and Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) are the largest players in the chip design software industry, and have also been racing to add gen AI to their offerings. Apple has used custom silicon in its iPhone devices since 2010, starting with the Apple A4 chip. The company had in 2020 switched its Mac computers to custom silicon from Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) processors, a move that also sparked a massive sales bump for the company. Srouji had largely spearheaded Apple's shift into custom silicon, and was at one point even considered as a candidate to lead chipmaker Intel. Still, Apple has struggled to incorporate gen AI into its flagship devices, having largely lagged rivals such as Samsung (KS:005930) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL). The company made few references to its AI plans during its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier in June.