# Apple researchers prototype virtual GPU cloud called “Minions”

> Apple’s team says they can pool idle Macs to act as a distributed GPU service for AI work.

Oossa · 2026-10-14 · https://oossa.com/en/apple-researchers-prototype-virtual-gpu-cloud-called-minions

Apple researchers announced a system named Minions that turns unused Mac computers into a shared GPU cloud. The idea is to let machines that are turned off or idle donate their graphics power to train AI models. Apple says the approach could grow to many devices worldwide and help researchers run larger workloads without dedicated hardware.

## The facts

- Apple researchers unveiled Minions on 2026-10-14.
- The system uses idle Macs as a virtual GPU cloud.

## Why it matters

If it works, developers could access more GPU power without buying extra servers.

## Sources & references

1. [Apple researchers turn idle Macs into a virtual GPU cloud with ‘Minions’](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/apple-researchers-turn-idle-macs-into-a-virtual-gpu-cloud-with-minions-researchers-say-the-distributed-scheme-could-scale-globally-and-support-model-training) – Tom's Hardware, 2026-10-14

Last updated: 2026-10-14