I'm not sure what to make of that Neural Engine. I was under the impression that most machine learning was using GPUs. The M1 already has a large GPU, so I'm surprised that the chip developers decided that a dedicated neural processor was worthwhile, especially in the middle of those CPUs.
Also, what kinds of jobs is that neural engine for? Presumably voice and face recognition to start with, but that doesn't strike me as enough to justify that die space. Good for research of course, but Apple seems to focus on what's practical for everyday users. I've seen stories about CPU designers wanting to use machine learning to manage system cache. I wonder if the NPU will be involved in managing the workload of the M1 chip itself.
Also, what kinds of jobs is that neural engine for? Presumably voice and face recognition to start with, but that doesn't strike me as enough to justify that die space. Good for research of course, but Apple seems to focus on what's practical for everyday users. I've seen stories about CPU designers wanting to use machine learning to manage system cache. I wonder if the NPU will be involved in managing the workload of the M1 chip itself.