Apple's U.S. Chip Claim Falters, AI+HW Roadmap Unveiled, Custom Compute Engines Surge

Apple’s latest push to market its first U.S.-made chips has hit a snag, as the company’s chips still depend on Taiwanese fabs for final assembly. The revelation underscores the continued reliance on global supply chains even as U.S. policy pushes for domestic manufacturing. Meanwhile, a joint study from UIUC, UCLA, Stanford and industry leaders outlines a 10‑year roadmap for AI and hardware, highlighting the need for tighter hardware‑software co‑design. In the compute arena, custom engine businesses are outpacing expectations, signaling a shift toward specialized silicon for cloud and edge workloads. In automotive, STMicroelectronics has introduced new high‑side drivers designed to withstand harsh transients, a key component for next‑generation electric and hybrid powertrains.