Apple’s former car project fuels Neural Engine and M7 chips

Apple's canceled self-driving car project, a multi-billion dollar endeavor that was terminated in early 2024, has emerged as a foundational force behind the company's current silicon and artificial intelligence strategy, according to recent reports. The decade-long effort, known internally as Project Titan, directly influenced the development of the Neural Engine, the dedicated AI processor now central to Apple's on-device computing.

The project's ambitious goal of achieving high-level autonomous driving required processors capable of handling immense streams of sensor data in real time and with strong privacy protections. This engineering challenge spurred advancements in custom silicon that did not end with the car's cancellation. The underlying technology evolved into the Neural Engine, which first appeared in the A11 Bionic chip inside the iPhone X in 2017, powering features like Face ID. It has since been integrated across Apple's product line, including every Apple Silicon Mac since the M1 chip's 2020 debut.

The legacy of Project Titan is now accelerating Apple's future chip roadmap. The company has reportedly decided to forgo Pro, Max, and Ultra variants of its upcoming...