Apple Reportedly Developing Dedicated AI Chip

If there’s one thing we’ve noticed with Apple’s iPhones it is that they have been working on creating dedicated chips that handle certain tasks. For example with the introduction of the M1, Apple created a special dedicated chip to handle data from various sensors, and recently Apple also introduced the W1 which is pretty much for connecting Bluetooth devices.
 
However it seems that’s not all Apple could be up to. In a report from Bloomberg (via AppleInsider), Apple is apparently developing a dedicated chip that will handle AI, which presumably will be Siri. Dubbed the “Apple Neural Engine”, apparently this chip will help to handle AI-related tasks such as facial or speech recognition, which means that it should help take some of the load off the main chipset, which in turn could either result in better battery life and/or a faster phone.
 
Apple is reported to have been testing out this Apple Neural Engine chip in prototype iPhones and could be planning to open it up to third-party developers, much like how Apple has allowed third-party developers to access certain features such as Siri and Touch ID. We’re not sure when this chip will be making its debut, but given that we’ve been hearing rumors about a Siri-powered speaker, perhaps we could learn more about it at WWDC 2017 next month.
 
Alternatively there is also Apple’s iPhone event which is presumably around September where the chip could be announced with the handset, but either way until we get the official details, take it with a grain of salt.

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