In fairness, it's been possible to convert a TensorFlow model to a CoreML model for a while, and in April TensorFlow Lite added a CoreML delegate to run models on the Neural Engine.
So don't think of it as Apple walked right in with this so much as Apple has been shipping the neural engine for years and now they're finally making it available on macOS.
But they needed to, MacBooks are simply no option if you want to train models. I dont expect crazy performance but would be great if MacBooks would be an option again for prototyping / model development at least