The idea of machines that can build even better machines sounds like sci-fi, but the concept is becoming a reality as companies like Cadence tap into generative AI to design and validate next-gen processors that also use AI.

In the early days of integrated circuits, chips were designed by hand. In the more than half a century since then, semiconductors have grown so complex and their physical features so small that it's only possible to design chips using other chips. Cadence is one of several electronic design automation (EDA) vendors building software for this purpose.

Even with this software, the process of designing chips remains time-consuming and error-prone. But with the rise of generative AI, Cadence and others have begun exploring new ways to automate these processes.