https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/13/17570066/facebook-custom-chip-design-shahriar-rabii-hire-google-ai

Facebook has hired one of Google’s lead chip developers, Shahriar Rabii, to help the social network in its ongoing effort to design its own silicon, according to a report from Bloomberg. Facebook hopped on the chip-developing bandwagon earlier this year, when they started to build a team that could design custom chips to power server and consumer hardware. Rabii’s new role at Facebook will be as a vice president and head of silicon, according to an updated Linkedin bio.

It’s a move that’s on trend with other tech giants, many of which are bringing chip design in-house rather than relying on big-name suppliers like Intel and Qualcomm. Apple has been creating its own custom processors for iOS devices for nearly a decade, and it has designed custom single-purpose chips for artificial intelligence and other tasks in recent years. The iPhone maker is also reportedly planning on using its own chips to replace the Intel processors for their Mac computers by 2020. Earlier this year, Amazon reportedly embarked on a new initiative to design its own chips, specifically to help power AI features for its Echo line of smart speakers.