The AI model designs and improves semiconductor chips on its own
On September 30, OpenAI and Synopsys announced an agreement to cooperate in developing a GPT-Synopsys model capable of directly operating professional chip design tools to help engineers shorten the process and bring products to market faster.
GPT-Synopsys combines OpenAI's advanced models with Synopsys' electronic design automation (EDA) software and semiconductor expertise. This is not a general-purpose model connected to technical software, but is designed to be proficient in using the tool itself. It will learn how to run EDA, interpret the results, and continuously adjust the design.
According to Interesting Engineering, in traditional chip design, engineers often have to configure the EDA tool themselves - a time-consuming process that requires in-depth knowledge. OpenAI said that with GPT-Synopsys, they can provide targets including power consumption, chip performance and area (PPA), travel time of electrical signals in the chip or testing standards. The agent will then operate the tool, analyze the output, make changes, and repeat until optimal results are achieved.
GPT-Synopsys runs on OpenAI's cloud server system, and integrates the Synopsys.ai and Synopsys Autopilot technical platforms. It works with the customer's existing agent system. Specific chip design data is confirmed to be encrypted, and customers have control over configuration related to storage, authorization and auditing.
"We are using the most advanced technology to improve artificial intelligence (AI) support systems," Quantum Zeitgeist quoted Greg Brockman, president and co-founder of OpenAI. "With Synopsys, we apply it to chip design, helping engineers discover more designs and build chips faster. By helping them create chips more efficiently, we can develop better AI and make it available to more people."
The deal is part of Synopsys' efforts in automated chip design. Previously, the company announced the Autopilot platform and AgentEngineer system that can plan and execute multi-step engineering processes. Synopsys said the technology has shortened the time to complete testing up to 50 times faster, tested chips 20% more thoroughly and increased working efficiency by 30%. The new project will contribute to shifting part of the chip design work from engineers operating individual software tools to agents capable of performing longer chains of engineering tasks.
OpenAI is also expanding its chip development. In June, it partnered with semiconductor giant Broadcom to launch Jalapeño, the company's first custom microprocessor. The process from initial design to chip manufacturing took 9 months, and OpenAI used models to speed up design and product optimization.