Apple car project’s chip work points to faster AI Macs and servers
Bloomberg reports Apple is speeding work on M7 chips after self-driving car research helped shape its Neural Engine.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Apple’s canceled self-driving car effort helped push the company toward stronger on-device AI chips, according to reporting by The Verge and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The work now appears to be feeding Apple’s next chip plans, including an M7 Ultra that Bloomberg says could support up to 1.5TB of RAM.
The Verge reported that Apple’s car project did not produce a finished vehicle or completed car processor. But early work on the autonomous driving system showed Apple it would need powerful AI processing that could run on the device itself, The Verge said.
Gurman, writing in Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, reported that the abandoned car processor work helped lead to the Neural Engine. The Verge described that component as the core of Apple’s on-device AI processing.
From car research to the iPhone
The Neural Engine first appeared in the iPhone X with Apple’s A11 Bionic chip, according to The Verge. At launch, The Verge said, Apple used the technology mainly for computer vision tasks behind Face ID, Animoji and augmented reality features.
The Verge reported that the Neural Engine later moved into Apple’s desktop and laptop chips through the M-series line. That shift gave Macs a dedicated foundation for local AI tasks, according to The Verge.
The Verge said Apple’s AI software work has trailed competitors, while its chip hardware has remained a strength. The publication also reported that on-device processing has supported Apple’s privacy pitch because less user data has to be sent to cloud systems.
M7 work takes priority
Gurman reported that Apple is now making AI hardware a major part of its chip plans. According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to skip the Pro, Max and Ultra versions of the upcoming M6 generation and move faster on M7 development instead.
The M7 is expected in the first half of 2027, Gurman reported. Bloomberg said that chip generation should bring significant upgrades to the Neural Engine.
Gurman also reported that Apple is preparing an M7 Ultra chip that could be used as the basis for a new Apple server product. Bloomberg said that version may support as much as 1.5TB of RAM.
The reported plans show how work from Apple’s self-driving project may continue to shape products years after the vehicle effort ended. According to The Verge, the car program failed to deliver its intended platform, but its AI-processing demands helped push Apple toward chip designs that now underpin its devices and may extend into servers.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.