A team of Chinese researchers has developed an AI tool capable of designing a working RISC-V CPU in just five hours. It successfully ran the Linux operating system and performed comparably to the human-designed Intel 80486SX CPU from 1991. According to the team, with a working chip in just under five hours, the AI was able to design the chip 1,000 times faster than a human team. The AI was also able to autonomously make discoveries in computer design, uncovering the von Neumann architecture first invented in 1945.
The authors suggest that their approach, outlined in a study titled “Pushing the Limits of Machine Design: Automated CPU Design with AI” could revolutionize the semiconductor industry by significantly shortening the design cycle.