Infrastructure
Apple reportedly developing M8 Ultra servers for AI inference, targeting 2029
Apple is working on an enterprise server built around its own M8 Ultra chips for running trained AI models, The Information reported, citing people familiar with the project. A launch would come no earlier than 2029, and neither Apple nor Nvidia has confirmed the plan.
The report, as summarized by The Decoder and Tom's Hardware, describes two configurations, one with two M8 Ultra processors and one with four. The machines would be sold to AI developers, businesses and governments that want to run models on their own equipment instead of in a public cloud.
Apple has discussed using Nvidia's NVLink Fusion technology to connect the chips, according to the report, and some engineers on the project regard it as the strongest available option. Tom's Hardware noted that the arrangement has not been formalized or confirmed by either company, and The Decoder said the project could still be cancelled or proceed without Nvidia's technology.
The Decoder added context from the report: OpenAI and Anthropic already buy Mac mini and Mac Studio computers in bulk for AI work, Apple's Mac revenue rose nearly 29 percent to $10.4 billion last quarter, and chief executive John Ternus backed the server effort about a year ago while he ran hardware. Ars Technica noted that the product would be Apple's first enterprise server in decades.
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- The Decoder
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