Apple Embraces Custom AI Chips for Enhanced Efficiency
In a rare move, Apple has publicly acknowledged its use of custom artificial intelligence chips from a leading cloud service provider. The tech giant has been leveraging these chips to power services like search, and is now exploring their potential for pre-training its proprietary AI models.
A Decade-Long Partnership
Apple’s senior director of machine learning and AI, Benoit Dupin, took the stage at a recent conference to discuss the company’s collaboration with the cloud service provider. This partnership, which spans over a decade, has enabled Apple to utilize the provider’s reliable infrastructure to serve its customers worldwide. Dupin highlighted the benefits of this partnership, citing a 40% efficiency gain in search services thanks to the use of custom chips.
The Future of AI Training
Apple is now evaluating the potential of the latest custom AI chip, Trainium2, to pre-train its models. This move signals a shift towards exploring alternative approaches to AI training, which is currently dominated by pricey Nvidia graphics processors. The early results are promising, with Dupin suggesting that Trainium2 could lead to up to 50% improvement in efficiency.
A New Era for AI Development
Apple’s adoption of custom AI chips could pave the way for other companies to explore non-Nvidia training approaches. This development comes as cloud providers and startups are racing to create more efficient and cost-effective alternatives for AI processing. Apple’s innovative approach to AI, which focuses on processing on-device and sending complex queries to Apple-operated servers, is set to revolutionize the industry.
What’s Next for Apple Intelligence
Apple’s AI services, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, are poised to integrate with OpenAI’s ChatGPT later this month. Additionally, Siri will receive new abilities to control apps and speak naturally next year. As Apple continues to push the boundaries of AI development, its partnership with the cloud service provider is likely to play a key role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
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