• Starting in late 2024, the entire lineup of Macs is expected to be refreshed with M4 chips that emphasize AI capabilities.
  • Intel’s next-gen mobile processor, Lunar Lake, is rumored to offer over 100 TOPS of performance in AI workloads, outperforming the current generation by a significant margin.
  • Apple’s slow response to the generative AI interest is expected to be addressed at WWDC, potentially involving developing their own ChatGPT competitor or considering a licensing deal with Google.

OUR TAKE
The Mac is about to undergo a major overhaul, and integrating artificial intelligence into the Mac is an exciting development. The potential for enhanced performance and more intelligent features could greatly improve the user experience. the growing competition in PC AI performance is also a positive sign, as it drives innovation and progress in this area. This competition is likely to result in PCs with better and more advanced AI capabilities that will benefit users in a variety of ways.
– Summer Ren， BTW reporter

The Mac is expected to undergo a major overhaul focused on artificial intelligence. The M4 chip, which emphasises AI capabilities, is expected to be used across the Mac range between late 2024 and 2025. Apple is rumoured to be slow to respond to interest in generative AI, and they may announce this year’s AI plans at WWDC, as well as the need for more powerful hardware to support AI.

Mac’s AI upgrades

Apple’s Neural Engine has been a part of the Mac since 2020, initially introduced in the M1 chip to boost AI workloads. This new emphasis on AI may indeed mark a technical change or could simply be a marketing strategy. It remains uncertain whether this focus is merely for marketing purposes or will lead to genuine technological advancements. The question of which laptops will be among the first to receive the M4 update remains somewhat unclear. The MacBook Air, which was recently updated with the M3, seems unlikely to be a candidate. It appears more likely that the M4 MacBook Pro could receive an update in the fall, which would also include the rollout of the M4 Pro and M4 Max.

Also read：Single Apple retail store files to unionise

Also read：Andrew Aude: Apple sues ex-iOS engineer for 5-year data leak

The race for PC AI performance

The competition in AI performance among PCs is intense. With all the recent talk surrounding the inclusion of neural processing units (NPUs) in the latest Intel and AMD chips, Macs have already been considered “AI PCs” for many years. Intel has just announced that its next-gen mobile processor, Lunar Lake, will offer over 100 TOPS of performance in AI workloads. This represents a significant increase compared to the current generation of Intel chips, with 45 of the 100 TOPS coming specifically from the NPU. By this definition, Macs have been in the race for AI performance for quite some time.

In this context, the return of growth in PC sales and the beginning of a decline for the Mac suggest a shift in the market. Microsoft, Intel, and their ecosystem partners are convinced that AI PCs will drive a surge in interest for upgrading PCs, and it seems that Apple is also increasingly persuaded by this hypothesis. The rumors suggest that Apple may address the growing interest in generative AI at WWDC, either by developing its own ChatGPT competitor or considering a licensing agreement with Google. Either way, the company may finally reveal its plans for AI this year, which will likely require more substantial hardware support.