AI Powers New approaches to Chip Design, Possibly Overcoming Physical Limits
SAN FRANCISCO, October 26, 2023 – Artificial intelligence is being deployed to fundamentally rethink semiconductor design, offering a potential path to circumvent the physical limitations increasingly hindering traditional chip development. Breakingviews reports that companies are leveraging AI to explore novel chip architectures and materials, moving beyond conventional silicon-based designs.
For decades, Moore’s Law – the observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years – has driven technological progress. Though, as transistors shrink to near-atomic levels, quantum effects and heat dissipation pose significant challenges. AI offers a way to optimize designs at a level of complexity beyond human capability, potentially extending the lifespan of chip innovation.
The approach involves using algorithms to explore a vast design space, identifying configurations that would be impractical for engineers to conceive manually. This includes experimenting with new materials beyond silicon, like gallium nitride and silicon carbide, and unconventional chip layouts. “We’re essentially reinventing the silicon wheel, but with a logic engine that can explore possibilities we never could before,” said one industry expert familiar with the technology, as reported by Breakingviews.
Several companies are already pursuing this strategy. Synopsys, a leading electronic design automation (EDA) software provider, is integrating AI into its tools to automate chip layout and verification.Startups like Tenstorrent,founded by former Google AI researcher Jim Keller,are designing chips specifically optimized for AI workloads,utilizing AI in the design process itself.
The potential benefits extend beyond simply maintaining Moore’s Law. AI-driven design could lead to chips that are more energy-efficient,faster,and better suited for specialized applications like artificial intelligence,autonomous vehicles,and high-performance computing.
Robyn Mak, a Reuters Breakingviews journalist covering technology, has followed the development of AI in chip design since 2013, noting the increasing investment and sophistication of these tools. The shift represents a significant departure from the established EDA industry and could reshape the future of semiconductor manufacturing.
