The Rise of the Full-Stack Chip Designer: An AI-Driven Revolution?

This article explores how AI could revolutionize chip design by enabling a 'full-stack' approach. Traditionally, front-end (RTL design) and back-end (GDS generation) teams work in isolation, leading to inefficiencies. The author argues that AI, particularly LLMs, can bridge this gap by creating knowledge bases, improving RTL generation, and enhancing documentation. This will shorten iteration cycles, potentially allowing single individuals or small teams to handle the entire chip design flow. This increased efficiency is crucial for navigating rising manufacturing and EDA tool costs, and will become a key competitive advantage for chip design companies.