Si2 Workshop Explores Global Effort to Measure AI Compute Capacity and Infrastructure

An international effort to assess artificial intelligence compute capacity and help governments make informed AI infrastructure investments is the focus of an online workshop hosted by Silicon Integration Initiative, January 29, 8:00-10:00 am PST.

Keith Strier, vice president, Worldwide AI Initiatives at NVIDIA, will discuss the AI Compute Task Force created in early 2020 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD is a Paris-based intergovernmental economic group with 37 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. The task force is developing a framework to measure and benchmark domestic AI compute capacity and other AI readiness components, including budgets and investment priorities.

Their work could also address concerns that wealthier countries are making outsized investments in AI compute capacity, possibly leading to a global compute divide that will sustain resource inequalities in a global digital economy. Strier chairs the OECD task force and has primary responsibility for the NVIDIA global public sector portfolio and the AI Nations Partnership Initiative. He also advises national and city government leaders on AI policies and infrastructure.

The workshop also features Yiorgros Makris from the University of Texas at Dallas. He will discuss how machine learning can reduce semiconductor testing costs, increase test quality, improve yield and test floor logistics, and guide designers and process engineers.

Makris is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and co-founder of the NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center on Hardware and Embedded System Security. His research focuses on applying machine learning and statistical analysis to develop trusted and reliable integrated circuits and systems, emphasizing the analog/RF domain.

The workshop will conclude with an update on the Si2 AI/ML in EDA Special Interest Group. Speakers are Joydip Das, SIG chair and senior engineer, Samsung Austin R&D Center; and Kerim Kalafala, SIG co-chair and senior technical staff member, IBM EDA.

The workshop is open to the public and registration is free. For more information visit http://bit.ly/si2_ai_workshop.

About Si2

Founded in 1988, Si2 is a leading research and development joint venture that provides standard interoperability solutions for integrated circuit design tools. All Si2 activities are carried out under the auspices of The National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, the fundamental law that defines R&D joint ventures and offers them a large measure of protection against federal antitrust laws. The Si2 international membership includes semiconductor foundries, fabless manufacturers, and EDA companies.

Dr. Leigh Anne Clevenger Named Si2 Director, OpenStandards

Silicon Integration Initiative has selected Dr. Leigh Anne Clevenger as director of OpenStandards, effective January 1, 2021. She will replace Jerry Frenkil, who has served in this role since 2015. Frenkil will remain with Si2 as an advisor to staff, board, and member companies on adoption of the IEEE 2416 Unified Power Modeling Standard.

Since joining Si2 in 2018, Clevenger has been the lead developer of the Si2 prototype power calculator, demonstrating the UPM/IEEE-2416 standard. She will continue to drive the UPM working group toward its goals of developing and adopting the standard. Additionally, leveraging her doctorate in Software She will continue to drive the UPM working group toward its goals of enhancement and adoption of the standard. and Machine Learning, Clevenger is currently spearheading the effort to identify and solve industry needs in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to electronic design automation tools.

With this promotion, Clevenger will continue working directly with Si2 members and industry leaders to identify and solve issues in semiconductor design flow interoperability. As an R&D Joint Venture providing antitrust protection for its members, Si2 is uniquely positioned to organize collaborative efforts, with the ultimate goal of widespread adoption of standards providing EDA tool interoperability and customer data access.

“Starting the Special Interest Group on AI/ML in EDA served as Leigh Anne’s introduction to the role Si2 has as an R&D Joint Venture,” said John Ellis, president and CEO. “Through a series of interviews with Si2 member companies, she established a vision of the technical collaboration needed and the highest priority issues for the SIG to tackle.

“Leigh Anne has been a vital addition to our team. She added value to our operations from day one, applying her semiconductor experience to UPM coding. Following Si2’s growth path, we soon put her advanced AI/ML degree to use,” Ellis added. “The SIG she formed with industry experts is well on its way to closing some serious gaps found for effectively applying AI/ML to EDA. I look forward to what’s next for Leigh Anne. With her skills and drive, I expect great things.”

Clevenger, who earned her doctorate at Pace University, has published and presented research on data science including big data analytics, machine learning algorithms, and wearable computing. She brings to Si2 extensive experience in semiconductor design automation at IBM and semiconductor processing technology at GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

About Si2

Founded in 1988, Si2 is a leading research and development joint venture that provides standard interoperability solutions for integrated circuit design tools. All Si2 activities are carried out under the auspices of The National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, the fundamental law that defines R&D joint ventures and offers them a large measure of protection against federal antitrust laws.

SI2 Launches Special Interest Group For AI and ML in Electronic Design Automation

SIG Will Fill Industry Gaps to Enable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in EDA

Silicon Integration Initiative has launched a special interest group to focus on the growing needs and opportunities in artificial intelligence and machine learning for electronic design automation.

The group will identify current solutions and technology gaps in AI and ML strategies for EDA digital design. “AI and ML are changing semiconductor design and improving performance and time to market,” said Leigh Anne Clevenger, Si2 design automation data scientist.  “Based on member company interest, we expect the SIG to propose prototype projects to accelerate the development of standards in areas such as machine learning training, and data handling and sharing.

“High manufacturing costs and the growing complexity of chip development are spurring disruptive technologies such as AI and ML,” Clevenger explained. “Si2 provides a unique opportunity for semiconductor companies, EDA suppliers and IP providers to voice their needs and focus resources on common solutions, including leveraging university research.”

The SIG is open to all Si2 members and is chaired by Joydip Das, Senior Engineer I, Samsung Austin R&D Center, and co-chaired by Kerim Kalafala, senior technical staff member, EDA, IBM.

“In recent years, the EDA industry has significantly expanded the use of AI/ML technology and techniques in its design tools,” said Das. “We’ve identified the need for a common industry-wide infrastructure to help share this information. This will help eliminate duplicative work and open up avenues for new breakthroughs.”

Other Si2 members participating in the SIG include: Advanced Micro Devices, ANSYS, Cadence Design Systems, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Intento Design, NC State University, PDF Solutions, Sandia Labs, Synopsys and the University of California, Berkeley.

About Si2

Founded in 1988, Si2 is a leading research and development joint venture that provides standard interoperability solutions for integrated circuit design tools. Its activities include support of OpenAccess, the world’s most widely used standard API and reference database for integrated circuit design. All Si2 activities are carried out under the auspices of The National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, the fundamental law that defines R&D joint ventures and offers them a large measure of protection against federal antitrust laws.