Apple plans to use generative AI to accelerate custom chip design.

On June 20, Reuters reported that Apple is considering using artificial intelligence to accelerate the design of custom chips at the heart of its devices. Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technology, said that a key lesson the company has learned is the need to use the most cutting-edge tools to design chips, “Electronic design automation (EDA) companies are critical in supporting the complexity of our chip designs, and generative AI technology has great potential to do more design work in less time and can greatly improve productivity.” However, according to AppleInsider, Apple has been using AI to some extent in its designs for years, and third-party EDA companies it has been relying on have leveraged AI and machine learning in chip designs. At the same time, software giant Microsoft plans to lay off thousands of employees and streamline its workforce to keep up with competitors amid increased investment in AI, which is now integrating AI more into its products and services. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also said this week that the rollout of generative AI and agency AI in the coming years will reduce its headcount.