The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to chip design is opening up breakthrough opportunities for the semiconductor industry, but experts point out three challenges regarding bandwidth, energy consumption, and the ability to apply open-source code.
The information was shared by experts at the workshop "Semiconductor Technology Revolution - AI in Silicon Valley" held on March 12 in Hanoi. The event is part of the international conference on artificial intelligence and semiconductors (AISC) organized by Aitomatic (USA) in coordination with the National Innovation Center (NIC) from March 12 to 14.
Mr. Nguyen Loi, an expert in the field of semiconductor manufacturing, said that bandwidth is one of the major challenges in AI chip design. "Currently, bandwidth nearly doubles every year thanks to new technologies, but this speed will become increasingly difficult to maintain as it approaches physical limits," he said. In addition to traditional electronic signals, optical connections are opening up opportunities for the development of analog chips, helping to enhance data processing capabilities.
In addition to bandwidth, memory power consumption is also a significant barrier, accounting for more than half of the total system consumption. "If we solve the bandwidth problem and optimize memory, we will create an important step forward in chip design and production," Mr. Loi emphasized.
A representative of NXP Semiconductors said that the biggest challenge today is balancing performance, cost, power consumption, and chip area. "We develop specialized accelerators for AI to meet the increasing demand. These technologies optimize the allocation of work between hardware components on the chip," he shared.
Although advanced technologies such as 2 nm and 5 nm are being applied, Moore's law is gradually reaching its limits, making it more difficult to maintain performance. NXP representative said that, in addition to technical barriers, convincing customers to accept new AI solutions is also a challenge, similar to the popularization of smartphones in the past.
Copyright protection in AI chip design is a complex issue. Mr. Daniel Weyl, Senior Vice President in charge of Automotive, said that most of the current AI design tools are not open source, making it difficult to access and develop. "The semiconductor industry places great importance on business secrets, making development tools mostly proprietary. This limits the ability to collaborate and share data between businesses and academia," he said.
Dr. Azalia Mirhoseini, representative of Google DeepMind, emphasized the importance of coordination between businesses and research institutions. "AI in the semiconductor industry is still in its early stages. Sharing methodologies will drive innovation," she said. She cited the collaboration between Google and universities on open source projects as a model worth learning from.
Experts agree that to shorten the chip development cycle and overcome technical barriers, collaboration between businesses and academia is key. Mr. Daniel said that businesses need to proactively invest in research facilities, while simplifying scientific and technological procedures and intellectual property protection.
Despite many challenges, experts are optimistic that if issues of bandwidth, copyright protection and increased cooperation are solved, the semiconductor industry will continue to make breakthroughs in the AI era.
Mr. Vu Quoc Huy, Director of the National Innovation Center NIC, emphasized that AI and semiconductors are strategic pillars for development. Recently, NIC has launched cooperation initiatives with global leaders, such as cooperating with Google to provide more than 30,000 AI scholarships for Vietnamese students. He suggested that global corporations continue to place their trust, expand cooperation, investment, and business activities in Vietnam "to open up new growth potential and nurture the country's next generation of talent". "The Vietnamese Government is committed to creating the most favorable conditions for investors, businesses, and innovators to thrive", the Director of NIC informed.