ChipsAugust 31, 2026via The Decoder
OpenAI and rival AI labs are buying tens of thousands of Mac minis to train computer-use agents
Why it matters
The compute buildout for agentic AI is reshaping hardware demand in unexpected ways: frontier labs are turning to consumer-grade Apple silicon for agent training, creating supply constraints and shifting the economics of AI infrastructure away from traditional data-center GPUs.
Key signals
- OpenAI purchased tens of thousands of Mac minis and Mac Studios for computer-use agent training
- Anthropic also relies on Apple hardware for agent development
- Most powerful Mac models sold out for months due to AI lab demand
- Apple Mac revenue rose 29% to $10.4B in June quarter
- Agent training workloads driving demand for consumer/prosumer hardware outside traditional GPU/TPU supply chains
The hook
Tens of thousands of Mac minis. That's what OpenAI and Anthropic are now buying to train agents — and Apple's supply can't keep up.
According to The Information, OpenAI has purchased tens of thousands of Mac minis and Mac Studios to train computer agents. Anthropic also relies on Apple hardware. Demand is so high that the most powerful models have been sold out for months. Apple’s Mac revenue rose by nearly 29 percent to $10.4 b…