Synopsys, OpenAI strike deal to develop AI model for chip design work

The Daybreak initiative has been expanded into two tiers – Daybreak Blue and Daybreak Red. (Express Image)

Synopsys, a maker of software used in designing computing chips, said on Wednesday that it has struck a deal to share revenue with OpenAI as the two develop an AI model for the chip business.

GPT-Synopsys, as the model will be called, will be specifically trained and tuned to take on chip design tasks, which start with a description of ⁠the ​chip’s circuits in a code-like language and span to determining how to lay out billions of transistors on a small square of silicon.

OpenAI’s model will learn how to use Synopsys software tools to help engineers ​work through ​the various trade-offs and optimizations that happen ⁠during the design process “to be able to shave off weeks, months from the design process and to ‌bring more chips to the world,” OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman said in a video announcing the news.

Synopsys announced the deal at an investor summit where Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi also said the company now expects 15% revenue growth for its fiscal 2027, which was above analyst estimates of 11.19% growth, according to LSEG ⁠data. Shares rose as much ⁠as 7% after the partnership and forecast announcement.

Ghazi told Reuters in an interview that OpenAI ⁠will pay Synopsys ‌a training subscription fee for learning to use Synopsys ​tools. When Synopsys customers use the ‌product, Synopsys and OpenAI will share revenue based on how well the model improves the design of a chip.

“We structured ‌the agreement in ​a way ​that it ​will not be cannibalizing our business,” Ghazi said. “It will be an upside to our business given we’re delivering ​more value to the customer.”

Ghazi said that the ⁠GPT-Synopsys model’s work will still be double-checked by Synopsys tools that use traditional computing techniques to verify whether a chip will work.

Story continues below this ad

“The model ‌needs these ⁠guardrails in order to check the physics,” Ghazi said. “The need for validating with the highest level of fidelity, ​what we call sign-off or ground truth, is essential.”