Apple is working with Broadcom to develop its first AI- focused server chip . The chip, codenamed “Baltra,” is expected to be ready for mass production by 2026, and will mark Apple’s first foray into server hardware designed specifically for AI tasks
According to the "Phone Arena" website, this move could redefine Apple's artificial intelligence infrastructure, enabling more advanced services such as Siri and other AI-driven applications
While Apple has been designing its own processors for more than a decade, including the A-series and M-series chips, the Baltra AI chip represents a new direction.
Apple's M-series chips, which power its cloud computing platform, were not originally designed to meet the unique demands of large-scale AI workloads
Broadcom, a US-based semiconductor manufacturer specializing in server technology, and Apple and Broadcom have a long-standing partnership, including a multibillion-dollar agreement for 5G radio frequency components
Broadcom's expertise in manufacturing server chips provides Apple with the infrastructure needed to build high-performance AI devices
This collaboration allows Apple to leverage Broadcom's networking and processing capabilities while maintaining control over chip design and optimization
The new AI server chip is set to make a major advance in Apple Intelligence , Apple's in-house AI platform
Apple runs its AI operations, including natural language processing for Siri, through M-series chips
However, a dedicated AI server chip will allow for specialized architectures optimized for complex tasks such as large-scale machine learning, conversational AI, and real-time natural language processing
This is in line with a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, which suggests that Apple is working on a more conversational version of Siri to compete with ChatGPT and Claude
This improved Siri, which is rumored to be released in 2026, could leverage Baltra's capabilities to provide faster, more accurate, and more intuitive responses
As Amazon, Google, and Microsoft continue to dominate the AI infrastructure space, Apple’s investment in Baltra shows its determination to compete
Also, by designing custom hardware, Apple ensures greater control over privacy and security, key selling points of its ecosystem
Apple’s partnership with Broadcom not only furthers its AI ambitions, but also signals its willingness to evolve its infrastructure to meet the growing demands of AI, reshaping its services for the future