It must possess the ability to cease its current computation at any time to undertake another, and then continue from the interruption point once the new task is completed.
Similar to a bank teller, clients come with all sorts of requests: withdrawing money, changing passwords, often including line-cutters or those who linger and chat you up...
To address these complex scenarios, including "flirting", a general-purpose chip encompasses intricate control processes. Conversely, the actual computing unit, the ALU, only comprises a small portion of the general-purpose chip.
Most of the design is there for flexibility, sacrificing computational efficiency for versatility.
Yet the key to a specialized chip is "efficiency"!
Compared to general-purpose chips, specialized chips are "inhuman"; they are like ATMs, defining clear operating procedures for users, eliminating the need for much of the flexibility in design.
Flirting with an ATM simply doesn't work.
