The Neural Engine is a dedicated Apple silicon component built to speed up machine learning tasks such as inference, image analysis, and other AI workloads. It works alongside the CPU and GPU, but it is optimized for model execution, so apps can process data locally with lower latency and less power use.
In cyber security, that matters because local AI can keep prompts, documents, and model outputs on the device instead of sending them to a cloud service. Defenders may use the Neural Engine for on-device detection, classification, and privacy-preserving analysis. Attackers can also benefit when malicious or abused software runs hidden processing on a Mac, extracts value from local data, or uses AI features to automate phishing, content generation, or analysis. Security teams should treat Neural Engine-enabled workloads like sensitive compute: control app permissions, review model sources, and monitor unexpected use of AI frameworks on managed Macs.