Apple confirms using Google's chips to build AI tools

Apple used chips designed by Google instead of those from the industry leader Nvidia to develop two essential components of its artificial intelligence software infrastructure for its upcoming AI tools and features, as per a recent research paper by Apple. 

Apple's decision to rely on Google's cloud infrastructure is notable because Nvidia produces the most sought-after AI processors. Including the chips made by Google, Amazon.com, and other cloud computing companies, Nvidia commands roughly 80% of the market.

In the research paper, Apple did not explicitly say that it used no Nvidia chips, but its description of the hardware and software infrastructure of its AI tools and features lacked any mention of Nvidia hardware.

The iPhone maker said that to train its AI models, it used two flavours of Google's tensor processing unit (TPU) that are organised in large clusters of chips. To build the AI model that will operate on iPhones and other devices, Apple used 2,048 of the TPUv5p chips. For its server AI model, Apple deployed 8,192 TPUv4 processors.

Nvidia does not design TPUs but rather focuses its efforts on so-called graphics processing units (GPUs) that are widely used for AI efforts.

Unlike Nvidia, which sells its chips and systems as standalone products, Google sells access to TPUs through its Google Cloud Platform. Customers interested in buying access must build software through Google's cloud platform to use the chips.

Apple's engineers said in the paper it would be possible to make even larger, more sophisticated models with Google's chips, than the two models it discussed in the paper.