Apple’s failed self-driving car program left a legacy of powerful AI chips

AI Summary

Apple's canceled self-driving car program resulted in the development of powerful AI chips like the Neural Engine, which is now integral to on-device AI processing in devices such as the iPhone X. This legacy has contributed significantly to Apple's AI capabilities despite the program's initial discontinuation.

Apple's self-driving car program never really got off the ground, but it may have been what made the company's chips the powerful AI performers they are. Early in the development of the self-driving platform, Apple realized that it would need powerful on-device AI processing. While the car processor was never finished, as Mark Gurman details in his latest Power On newsletter, it did lead to the development of the Neural Engine, the backbone of Apple's on-device AI processing. The Neural Engine made its debut with the iPhone X and the A11 Bionic. In those early days, it was primarily used for computer vision, powering FaceID, Animoji, and a … Read the full story at The Verge.