Apple looks to AI to speed up chip design and server hardware plans

• Apple is using AI and EDA tools to speed up chip design.
• Srouji says the tools could cut design time and handle complexity.

When Johny Srouji stepped up to accept a prestigious semiconductor industry award in Belgium last month, few expected his remarks would hint at a potential shift in how Apple approaches AI-powered chip design and automation. Yet the senior vice president of hardware technologies delivered comments that could signal Apple’s next major strategic pivot in silicon development.

Speaking at the ITF World conference in Antwerp while receiving the 2025 Imec Innovation Award, Srouji offered a glimpse into Apple’s thinking about generative AI’s role in chip development.

While his observations about AI chip design automation weren’t part of any official Apple announcement, they reveal how one of the company’s most influential hardware architects views the intersection of artificial intelligence and semiconductor engineering.

The question now facing the industry: If Apple seriously pursues the AI chip design direction Srouji outlined, what could this mean for the future of custom silicon development?

Strategic bet on AI-powered design tools

“Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost,” Srouji said in his recorded speech as reported in Reutersemphasising Apple’s commitment to adopting cutting-edge tools for chip development.

This represents a notable consideration for a company that has relied historically on traditional design methods since launching its first custom A4 processor in 2010. If Apple were to fully embrace AI chip design automation, it could accelerate development cycles.

The hardware executive highlighted how “EDA companies are super-critical in supporting our chip design complexities,” referring to electronic design automation firms like Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys.

Both companies are racing to integrate artificial intelligence capabilities into their software offerings.

Industry context and competitive implications

Apple’s potential acceptance of AI chip design automation could position Apple among a technological shift that’s gaining momentum. EDA software is a collection of tools that addresses simulation, design, and verification systems. The integration of AI into workflows could reduce development timelines and improve design optimisation.

AI-driven tools, like Synopsys’ DSO.ai, help semiconductor designers explore and optimise their design space for improvements in performance, power, and area trade-offs in the chip design process.

The move toward AI chip design automation reflects industry trends. Companies like Nvidia have employed AI tools to optimise their data centre GPU designs, letting them release new GPUs every year instead of two.

Historical precedent for hardware decisions

Srouji’s comments also revealed Apple’s characteristic approach to major technological transitions. “Moving the Mac to Apple Silicon was a huge bet for us. There was no backup plan, no split-the-lineup plan, so we went all in, including a monumental software effort,” he recalled, referencing the company’s successful 2020 transition from Intel processors to custom silicon.

The all-or-nothing philosophy appears to be guiding Apple’s approach to AI chip design automation integration. Rather than gradual adoption, the company could be positioned to make generative AI a central component of its hardware development strategy.

Broader market implications

The semiconductor design automation market has evolved since the 1980s commercial ASIC industry emergence. Today, Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens EDA dominate the market with approximately 75% market share, creating an oligarchy where AI chip design automation innovations from these vendors dictate to the industry.

Both Cadence and Synopsys are expected to grow at 15-20% the next five years, significantly above overall semiconductor industry growth, driven partly by increasing demand for AI chip design automation solutions from companies like Apple.

The timing of Apple’s potential AI chip design direction comes as semiconductors are becoming more complex. Design costs at leading nodes have increased substantially, with more transistor counts requiring larger teams of design engineers and more sophisticated software for chip verification.

Apple’s embrace of AI chip design automation signals the company’s recognition that artificial intelligence tools will become important in maintaining technological leadership in the industry.

For a sector already grappling with Moore’s Law limitations and escalating development costs, Apple’s bet on AI chip design automation could either set new standards or serve as a cautionary tale about the challenges of integrating artificial intelligence into complex engineering workflows.

(Image by Sumudu Mohotign)

See also: TSMC reports record AI chip demand amid Trump tariff uncertainty

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Weekand Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here