Apple Turns to Google Chips for AI Model Training

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Apple has chosen to utilize chips designed by Google over those from industry leader Nvidia for building key components of its artificial intelligence (AI) software infrastructure, according to a research paper released by Apple on Monday. This move marks a significant shift given Nvidia’s dominance in the AI chip market.

Nvidia, a leader in the AI hardware space, produces highly coveted processors that have become the standard for many tech companies. Despite Nvidia’s prominence, Apple’s latest AI initiatives are powered by Google’s hardware, reflecting a strategic choice to leverage Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs). 

The research paper, which detailed Apple’s new AI tools and features, highlighted the use of Google’s TPU chips, but did not mention Nvidia hardware. Apple’s decision to omit Nvidia in its AI infrastructure is notable, as Nvidia controls approximately 80% of the market when including contributions from companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other cloud providers.

Apple’s AI systems employ two versions of Google’s TPU: the TPUv5p for on-device operations and the TPUv4 for server-based tasks. Specifically, Apple has deployed 2,048 TPUv5p chips to power AI models on iPhones and other devices, while 8,192 TPUv4 processors are used for server-side AI models.

Unlike Nvidia, which specializes in graphics processing units (GPUs) and markets them as standalone products, Google provides TPU access through its Google Cloud Platform. This requires customers, including Apple, to develop software through Google’s cloud ecosystem to utilize the chips effectively.

This week, Apple began rolling out portions of its Apple Intelligence AI suite to beta users. While Reuters had previously reported Apple’s use of TPU chips, the full scope of Apple’s reliance on Google hardware was only detailed in Monday’s research paper. Google has not responded to requests for comment, and Nvidia also declined to provide a statement.

According to Apple’s engineers, the TPU chips’ capabilities enable the creation of even larger and more sophisticated AI models beyond those currently described. At its developer conference in June, Apple showcased a range of new AI features, including the integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology into its software offerings.

Following the research paper’s release, Apple’s stock experienced a minor decline of 0.1%, trading at $218.24.