Apple Eyes AI Server with Nvidia NVLink Fusion for Enterprise Inference

Apple is considering offering an AI server built around "M8" series chips and has discussed incorporating Nvidia networking hardware, The Information reports.

The system would be sold to outside customers, potentially bringing Apple back into a business it left behind when it discontinued Xserve in 2011. Apple is reportedly targeting companies that want to run AI models on their own equipment, with a particular focus on inference and generating responses from trained models.

One option under consideration is Nvidia's NVLink Fusion, which provides hardware and software for exchanging data between chips. Apple could use the platform to link its M8 processors, although neither the Nvidia arrangement nor the server itself is finalized. The report places a potential release date in 2029, but it could be canceled before then.

Apple CEO John Ternus reportedly supported the initiative when work on it began approximately a year ago, during his tenure as the company's hardware engineering chief. The project follows growing interest in Apple hardware among AI businesses, which have been buying Mac mini and Mac Studio systems in large quantities.

Apple already produces server hardware for Private Cloud Compute, the infrastructure that handles Apple Intelligence tasks requiring processing beyond a user's device. According to the report, scaling Apple's existing connections between chips would present cost and speed problems, which is why it is considering Nvidia's technology. Apple has also declined partners' requests to use those Private Cloud Compute servers.

An agreement would give Nvidia a role in an Apple product that could compete with its own AI systems. NVLink Fusion allows Nvidia to supply networking technology to companies building alternative processors, expanding its business beyond customers using Nvidia chips.

The discussions also suggest a closer working relationship between Apple and Nvidia following their longstanding disputes. Apple has already announced plans to extend Private Cloud Compute to Google Cloud using Nvidia GPUs. The companies have reportedly explored additional ways to work together on AI, including the use of Nvidia's open-source models.

The project still faces challenges beyond developing the hardware. There is still said to be a need for stronger support for business customers and more software resources for AI developers, including further investment in its MLX framework.