Chinas Academy of Sciences Unveils AI System QiMeng for Automated Chip Design Amid US Software Restrictions

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed an artificial intelligence system named QiMeng for the automatic design of microchips. This system utilizes large language models and fully automates the processor development process.

Engineers can specify their requirements for a new chip using natural language. QiMeng independently generates the processor architecture and writes the necessary code. The system operates at three levels: a basic processor model, an agent for designing hardware and software, and applications for chip development.

Developers claim that the chips designed by QiMeng match the performance of those created by human engineers. For instance, a task that would typically take a team of engineers weeks to complete can be accomplished by the system in just a few days.

So far, QiMeng has successfully created two test chips that are comparable in specifications to the Intel 486 and Arm Cortex A53. A detailed description of the system is publicly available on GitHub.

The creation of QiMeng is a direct response to U.S. restrictions that prevent the sale of chip design software to China. Prior to this, three Western companies dominated 82% of the Chinese market for such software.

This project is part of a government initiative aimed at reducing China’s technological dependency. Despite an investment of $118 billion over five years, the country currently produces only 16% of the semiconductors it uses. The launch of QiMeng illustrates the pursuit of new strategies to accelerate the growth of China’s domestic semiconductor industry.