Samsung has confirmed that the company will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create its new chips and added that it will be using new software from Synopsys, a leading chip design software firm.
A spokesperson for Samsung has confirmed to Wired that the company is using Synopsys AI software to design its Exynos chips. However, the company did not confirm whether the AI-designed chips have gone into production yet, or what products they may appear in.
While Samsung is among the first companies to design its chips using artificial intelligence, other companies like Google and NVIDIA have talked about designing chips using AI. The tool from Synopsys, called DSO.ai, could have a larger footprint given that the company already works with dozens of other companies.
A couple of months ago, Google researchers described using AI to arrange the components on the Tensor chips that it uses to train and run AI programs in its data centers. Google’s next smartphone, the Pixel 6 series, will feature a custom chip manufactured by Samsung.
As noted, apart from Samsung and Google, other companies are also dabbling in AI-driven chip design, including NVIDIA and IBM. Then there’s Cadence, a competitor to Synopsys, which is also developing AI tools to aid with mapping blueprints for new chips.
The current artificial intelligence approach used by Synopsys and all the other companies use a machine-learning technique called reinforcement learning to work out the design of a chip. It involves training an algorithm to perform a task through reward or punishment.
The technology can automatically draw the basics of a design, including placement of components and wiring them together. This is achieved by trying different designs in simulation and learning which ones produce the best results.
RELATED:
