Synopsys and OpenAI Team Up to Build an AI Chip Design Model

Even as the US tightens export controls on AI and semiconductors, chip design software giant Synopsys says it still plans to work with Chinese large language model makers. The goal is to use AI versions of its tools to help local Chinese companies speed up chip development.

Synopsys has signed a multi-year deal with OpenAI. Together, they will build a special AI model called GPT-Synopsys to automate the chip design process and cut development time. The company's chief product officer said they are also exploring partnerships with Chinese AI labs to tailor design tools for the Chinese market.

Synopsys expects its fiscal 2027 revenue to grow 15% year on year, reaching 11.15 billion dollars, thanks to deep AI integration in its tools. As AI training and inference needs surge, chips are being upgraded much faster. A full design cycle now has to fit within a year, so chipmakers urgently need AI-powered design tools to keep pace.