Synopsys Design Software Uses AI to Make Chips More Power Efficient

A man walks through the Synopsys booth during the Black Hat information security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 26, 2017. (Reuters)
A man walks through the Synopsys booth during the Black Hat information security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 26, 2017. (Reuters)
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Synopsys Design Software Uses AI to Make Chips More Power Efficient

A man walks through the Synopsys booth during the Black Hat information security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 26, 2017. (Reuters)
A man walks through the Synopsys booth during the Black Hat information security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 26, 2017. (Reuters)

Synopsys Inc said on Monday one of its customers used artificial intelligence software to get a 26% gain in the power efficiency of a computer chip, a leap that usually has to wait for a new generation of chip manufacturing technology.

Modern computing chips are made of billions of transistors and wires laid down on a piece of silicon the size of a fingernail. Precisely how all the elements are placed on the chip, along with other design and architecture choices, has a major impact on how well they perform and how much they cost to make.

Major chip firms like Intel Corp or Nvidia Corp can spend two years and hundreds of millions of dollars to perfect their designs. Synopsys is one of the major makers of software used to do that work.

The company has started weaving artificial intelligence called DSO.ai into its flagship chip design suite to help chip designers get better results, faster, while trying to balance trade-offs on speed, power efficiency and cost to meet their business goals. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Renesas Electronics Corp have begun using it, with Samsung last year saying it had cut a chip design step that would have taken months down to weeks.

On Monday, Synopsys said the AI system can now take into account what software will eventually run on a chip to squeeze out more gains. A major cloud computing provider that it did not name got a 26% gain in power efficiency versus the best solution found by human designers.

In the past, gains like those came from a new generation of chip manufacturing technology that would come every two years rather than purely from the design. The new software can squeeze much more out of existing chip factories, said Aart de Geus, chief executive of Synopsys.

“It is significant because design is now actually more of the enabler than ever before,” de Geus told Reuters in an interview.



SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 
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SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

SDAIA Launches 'National AI Index' to Measure Saudi Govt Readiness for Adopting AI 

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched the "National AI Index," with over 180 representatives from participating government entities attending the first assessment cycle.

The goal of the index is to evaluate institutional readiness for adopting artificial-intelligence (AI) technologies, regularly monitor progress, and provide recommendations to support development efforts and achieve the desired national impact, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The index aims to align government efforts and national priorities in the field of AI, while providing the necessary enablers to support government entities in adopting and developing effective and sustainable AI solutions that contribute to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The index is built on three main pillars, seven core dimensions, and 23 subcategories to ensure a comprehensive assessment of government entities' readiness in the AI field. It provides results that reflect the maturity level of AI adoption across entities, along with the necessary support to enhance their capabilities in developing innovative solutions that sustain national efforts and maximize their impact in priority sectors.

The index is part of SDAIA's broader efforts as the national reference for data and AI in the Kingdom, overseeing their regulation, development, and application.

It aims to promote the adoption of AI technologies and improve institutional performance, thereby advancing digital transformation across government entities. The initiative aligns with SDAIA's strategic partnerships to support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a knowledge- and innovation-based economy.