Apple has big plans to integrate generative AI into its custom chip design process, aiming to supercharge performance and boost productivity.
While the company might be playing catch-up to OpenAI and Google in the AI race, Apple’s unique approach could give it the edge in hardware innovation.
Although Apple has always been known for its custom silicon, with the A-series chips significantly improving performance, energy efficiency, and overall software compatibility, the company is now looking to elevate its chips further. The addition of generative AI into the design process is seen as a way to reduce the time spent on chip development, speeding up performance improvements.
Last month, Apple’s hardware chief, Johny Srouji, revealed Apple’s plans to leverage AI-assisted chip design at an event in Belgium, where he was honored by the semiconductor research organization Imec. The possibility of using AI to improve chip designs by automating parts of the design process could lead to faster and more powerful processors, a shift that could have a massive impact on future Apple devices.
Srouji emphasized that generative AI’s potential lies in getting more design work done in less time. This boost in productivity could significantly affect chip performance, allowing Apple to iterate and improve its silicon faster than ever before. Additionally, the company is collaborating with industry leaders like Cadence and Synopsys, electronic design automation (EDA) firms, to overcome design challenges and push innovation.
However, Apple’s AI efforts haven’t been without criticism. Despite excitement surrounding the company’s ventures into AI, it has faced some setbacks, like delays in the highly anticipated Personalized Siri and the lack of major AI features in iOS 26. Even though Apple revamped its platform with a new Liquid Glass redesign, AI advancements took a backseat during the company’s WWDC 2025 event.
Srouji defended the company’s cautious AI integration, stating that Apple is focusing on using AI to enhance chip development rather than just user-facing features. This broader, more methodical approach to integrating AI into Apple’s hardware development could help the company maintain its reputation for crafting industry-leading, reliable tech.
Apple’s transition from Intel-based chips to its custom silicon has been a major success. The move to Apple Silicon allowed the company to have more control over performance and power efficiency, marking a pivotal moment in its hardware development. As the company moves forward with AI-driven chip design, we’re all waiting to see what improvements the future holds.