Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How is AI changing the way chips are designed? In this episode of Advanced Insights, Mark Papermaster and AMD Corporate Fellow Alex Starr examine the shift toward AI-native engineering, from faster verification and smarter workflows to the guardrails needed to maintain rigor at scale. It’s a candid look at what’s real, what’s hype, and how AI could reshape the future of silicon design.
Key Takeaways
• Agentic AI is transforming chip design by automating complex workflows across verification, debugging and physical design.
• These workflows can improve productivity and product quality at the same time by identifying, triaging and resolving issues faster.
• Successfully scaling AI-native engineering requires more than new tools. It also demands new skills, cross-functional collaboration and a culture of rapid adoption.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Agentic AI and the Future of Chip Design 00:58 Meet Alex Starr, AMD Corporate Fellow
03:02 Why Agentic AI Applies Across Industries
03:48 The Shift from Generative AI to Agentic Workflows
04:58 How Agents Produce Higher-Quality Results
06:17 Applying Agentic AI to Chip Design 06:43 Understanding the Chip Design Process 08:08 AI-Powered Verification and Physical Design
08:46 Improving Productivity and First-Time-Right Quality
10:36 Combining EDA Expertise with AMD Data
11:11 Breaking Down Silos Across Engineering Teams
13:10 Agentic AI and Holistic System Design
14:47 Moving Beyond Point AI Use Cases 15:51 Automating Debug and Root-Cause Analysis 16:27 Processing Millions of Simulations Every Night
17:23 Increasing Productivity, Quality and Product Innovation
17:56 Why Building Agentic Workflows Is Hard 19:30 Driving Adoption Across 20,000 Engineers 21:14 Applying Agentic AI to the ROCm Software Stack
22:43 Why Speed Is the New Competitive Moat
23:17 The Future of Autonomous Chip Design
24:32 Building AI Fluency Across the AMD Workforce
26:11 Mark’s Key Takeaways
27:08 Closing and Where to Watch or Listen
***
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©2026 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow Logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
How is AI changing the way chips are designed? In this episode of Advanced Insights, Mark Papermaster and AMD Corporate Fellow Alex Starr examine the shift toward AI-native engineering, from faster verification and smarter workflows to the guardrails needed to maintain rigor at scale. It’s a candid look at what’s real, what’s hype, and how AI could reshape the future of silicon design.
Key Takeaways
• Agentic AI is transforming chip design by automating complex workflows across verification, debugging and physical design.
• These workflows can improve productivity and product quality at the same time by identifying, triaging and resolving issues faster.
• Successfully scaling AI-native engineering requires more than new tools. It also demands new skills, cross-functional collaboration and a culture of rapid adoption.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Agentic AI and the Future of Chip Design 00:58 Meet Alex Starr, AMD Corporate Fellow
03:02 Why Agentic AI Applies Across Industries
03:48 The Shift from Generative AI to Agentic Workflows
04:58 How Agents Produce Higher-Quality Results
06:17 Applying Agentic AI to Chip Design 06:43 Understanding the Chip Design Process 08:08 AI-Powered Verification and Physical Design
08:46 Improving Productivity and First-Time-Right Quality
10:36 Combining EDA Expertise with AMD Data
11:11 Breaking Down Silos Across Engineering Teams
13:10 Agentic AI and Holistic System Design
14:47 Moving Beyond Point AI Use Cases 15:51 Automating Debug and Root-Cause Analysis 16:27 Processing Millions of Simulations Every Night
17:23 Increasing Productivity, Quality and Product Innovation
17:56 Why Building Agentic Workflows Is Hard 19:30 Driving Adoption Across 20,000 Engineers 21:14 Applying Agentic AI to the ROCm Software Stack
22:43 Why Speed Is the New Competitive Moat
23:17 The Future of Autonomous Chip Design
24:32 Building AI Fluency Across the AMD Workforce
26:11 Mark’s Key Takeaways
27:08 Closing and Where to Watch or Listen
***
Subscribe: bit.ly/Subscribe_to_AMD
Join the AMD Gaming Discord Server: discord.gg/amd-gaming
Visit the AMD Gaming Community Website: amdgaming.com
Like us on Facebook: bit.ly/AMD_on_Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: bit.ly/AMD_On_Twitter
Follow us on Twitch: Twitch.tv/AMD
Follow us on LinkedIn: bit.ly/AMD_on_Linkedin
Follow us on Instagram: bit.ly/AMD_on_Instagram
©2026 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow Logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
