Apple’s abandoned self-driving car project drove the development of its powerful AI chips. The car needed strong on-device AI without cloud reliance. Though the car’s processor never launched, its work evolved into the Neural Engine.

The Neural Engine debuted in 2017 with the iPhone X and A11 Bionic chip, handling tasks like Face ID and AR. It became the base for Apple’s on-device AI and later appeared in M-series desktop chips.

Apple’s AI software still trails, but its hardware leads and supports privacy by keeping data local. The upcoming M6 chip will skip Pro, Max, and Ultra versions, focusing on the M7 with a stronger Neural Engine due next year. The M7 Ultra will power a new server with up to 1.5 TB RAM.