Apple is exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the design of its custom silicon chips, a senior executive at the company has revealed.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, made the comments during a speech in Belgium last month, where he was honored by Imec, a leading independent chip research and development organization. A recording of the address was reviewed by Reuters.
In his speech, Srouji reflected on Apple’s chip development journey—from the introduction of the A4 chip in the iPhone in 2010 to the advanced silicon now powering Mac computers and the Vision Pro headset. He emphasized the importance of leveraging cutting-edge tools throughout this evolution, including state-of-the-art chip design software provided by leading electronic design automation (EDA) firms.
“EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities,” Srouji said. “Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work done in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost.”
Major EDA providers, such as Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys, have been investing heavily in AI to enhance their platforms. Apple’s interest in adopting these advancements signals a broader industry shift toward integrating AI into the semiconductor design process.
Srouji also underscored Apple’s willingness to take bold risks—pointing to the company’s landmark decision in 2020 to transition its Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own custom-designed Apple Silicon.
“Moving the Mac to Apple Silicon was a huge bet for us,” he said. “There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan, so we went all in, including a monumental software effort.”
The remarks offer a rare glimpse into Apple’s internal strategy for chip innovation and suggest that generative AI may soon play a pivotal role in how the company continues to push the boundaries of hardware performance and efficiency.
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