Synopsys has introduced AgentEngineer, an AI-powered technology designed to streamline semiconductor design by automating complex engineering tasks.
The company, which provides software for chip design, aims to help engineers cope with increasing demands as semiconductor firms like Nvidia build advanced AI server systems with thousands of chips.
CEO Sassine Ghazi highlighted the growing pressure on engineers to manage complexity, meet tight deadlines, and control costs.
The AI-driven tool will initially assist human engineers by handling specific tasks, such as verifying circuit designs. Over time, it is expected to coordinate the development of intricate systems comprising multiple chips and components, ensuring efficient project delivery.
The company’s technology and development lead, Shankar Krishnamoorthy, emphasised that AI will be crucial in expanding research and development capacity without requiring larger engineering teams.
With the pace of AI computing accelerating, semiconductor companies face mounting challenges in chip design. Synopsys believes AI will play a critical role in overcoming these difficulties, making the process faster and more efficient.
The new technology is part of a broader industry shift toward AI-driven automation in engineering.
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SoftBank has announced a $6.5 billion acquisition of US chip startup Ampere Computing, marking a major step in its investment in AI infrastructure.
The deal, paid entirely in cash, reflects founder Masayoshi Son’s growing focus on AI as a transformative technology. Ampere produces data centre CPUs based on an architecture from SoftBank’s majority-owned Arm Holdings, with customers including Oracle.
The acquisition follows a series of multi-billion-dollar AI investments by SoftBank, including funding for OpenAI, the Stargate AI data centre project, and Cristal, an AI services joint venture in Japan.
Ampere, founded in 2018 by former Intel president Renee James, developed its own custom CPU cores—an approach typically seen in larger firms like Apple and Qualcomm.
Under SoftBank’s ownership, the company will operate alongside Arm, strengthening SoftBank’s growing collection of AI-focused chip technology firms.
Masayoshi Son described the move as part of his vision for ‘artificial super intelligence,’ highlighting the need for advanced computing power.
While SoftBank has seen mixed results in past investments, such as its troubled backing of WeWork, the company continues to place high-stakes bets on emerging technologies.
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A recent incident in Data Center Alley, a region outside Washington DC housing over 200 data centres, exposed a new vulnerability in the US power grid.
Last summer, 60 data centres unexpectedly disconnected from the grid and switched to on-site generators, causing a surge in excess electricity. However, this triggered the need for grid operators to scale back power output to avoid cascading outages.
The disconnection event, caused by a failed surge protector, forced regulators to address the growing risk of power imbalances due to the rapid expansion of data centres, especially those involved in AI and crypto mining.
As these centres consume increasing amounts of energy, grid operators face new challenges in maintaining stability.
Federal regulators like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) are now studying the impact of such events and the risks posed by unannounced data centre disconnections.
The power consumption of data centres has tripled over the last decade and is projected to continue rising, prompting calls for updated reliability standards.
Industry stakeholders, including major tech companies, have expressed concerns about the potential costs and risks of requiring data centres to remain connected during voltage fluctuations.
With the growing presence of large data users, grid operators face a tough balancing act to ensure power stability while accommodating the demands of the data centre industry.
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes that humanoid robots will soon be widely used in manufacturing, possibly within the next five years.
Speaking at the company’s annual developer conference, Huang unveiled new software tools designed to improve robots’ ability to navigate the world.
Huang stated that the manufacturing industry would likely lead the way in adopting humanoid robots, due to its controlled environment and well-defined tasks.
He emphasised the economic value, with robots potentially costing around $100,000 to rent, making them a good investment.
The CEO’s predictions highlight the growing role of AI in automation, with Huang confident that humanoid robots will soon be an integral part of factory operations.
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Microsoft is set to launch its first cloud region in Malaysia, featuring three data centres in the greater Kuala Lumpur area.
The centres, known as Malaysia West, will begin operations by mid-year, marking a significant step in the company’s $2.2 billion investment in the country.
However, this move is part of Microsoft’s broader plan to expand its cloud and AI services in Southeast Asia. Microsoft estimates the investment will generate $10.9 billion in revenue and create over 37,000 jobs in Malaysia over the next four years.
Laurence Si, managing director of Microsoft Malaysia, stated that the company’s operations in Malaysia remain on track despite concerns over US export controls on semiconductor chips.
Microsoft remains confident in its relationships with stakeholders and its ability to meet its investment commitments.
Local businesses are expected to benefit from enhanced cloud and AI capabilities, with the country aiming to become a leading hub for technological innovation in the region.
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Britain should maintain competition in the broadband market to boost full-fibre coverage to 96% of premises by 2027 while capping prices on slower-speed services, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom announced on Thursday.
The cap would limit what BT’s Openreach can charge for connections up to 80Mbit/s, an increase from the current 40Mbit/s limit.
Ofcom’s previous measures, including encouraging new providers to use Openreach’s infrastructure, have helped increase full-fibre coverage from under 25% to nearly 70% of homes.
It now proposes keeping high-speed broadband prices free from regulation until 2031 while ensuring affordability for those relying on older copper-fibre connections.
In rural areas where commercial networks are less viable, Ofcom plans to support Openreach in expanding full-fibre access. The regulator’s consultation on these proposals will run until June 12, with final decisions expected in March 2026. BT shares rose 0.5% following the announcement.
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Chinese tech giant Baidu has denied claims of an internal data breach after the teenage daughter of a senior executive was accused of sharing users’ personal information online.
The controversy erupted when internet users alleged that the daughter of Baidu vice president Xie Guangjun had posted private details, including phone numbers, following an online dispute.
Baidu insisted that neither employees nor executives have access to user data and claimed the information came from illegally obtained ‘doxing databases’ on foreign platforms.
The company has filed a police report regarding false claims, including allegations that Xie had given his daughter access to Baidu’s databases.
Xie apologised, stating that the data had been sourced from overseas social networking sites.
The case comes amid ongoing crackdown in China on data privacy breaches, with stricter laws in place to prevent unauthorised sharing of personal details.
The controversy has impacted investor confidence, with Baidu’s shares falling more than 4% in Hong Kong trading.
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Filtronic has expanded its partnership with SpaceX, securing a larger contract to supply advanced E-band SSPA modules for the Starlink satellite network.
The agreement builds on their initial collaboration signed in April last year, reinforcing Filtronic’s role in supporting one of the world’s leading space technology firms.
As part of the deal, Filtronic has issued 10.95 million warrants to SpaceX at an exercise price of 92.8p. These warrants give SpaceX the option to subscribe for up to 5% of Filtronic’s existing share capital, with vesting linked to confirmed purchase orders.
The issuance of warrants was approved under existing shareholder authorities granted at Filtronic’s annual general meeting in October.
Chief executive Nat Edington described the agreement as a validation of Filtronic’s technology and a step towards securing further supply commitments for the Starlink constellation. The company expects to trade slightly ahead of market expectations for the financial year ending May 2026.
Following the announcement, Filtronic’s shares rose by 3.17% to 107.3p at 10:55 GMT.
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Meta’s open AI model family, Llama, has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 1 billion downloads, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The announcement, made on Threads, highlights a rapid rise in adoption, with downloads increasing by 53% since December 2024. Llama powers Meta’s AI assistant across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, forming a crucial part of the company’s expanding AI ecosystem.
Despite its success, Llama has not been without controversy. Meta faces a lawsuit alleging the model was trained on copyrighted material without permission, while regulatory concerns have stalled its rollout in some European markets. Additionally, emerging competitors, such as China’s DeepSeek R1, have challenged Llama’s technological edge, prompting Meta to intensify its AI research efforts.
Looking ahead, Meta plans to launch several new Llama models, including those with advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities. Zuckerberg has hinted at ‘agentic’ features, suggesting the AI could soon perform tasks autonomously. More details are expected at LlamaCon, Meta’s first AI developer conference, set for 29 April.
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At GTC 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a new generation of AI-focused personal supercomputers designed to redefine computing in the era of AI. The two new machines, DGX Spark and DGX Station, are powered by Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell chip platform and promise to deliver unprecedented AI computing power at the edge.
DGX Spark, available immediately, features the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, capable of up to 1,000 trillion operations per second. Meanwhile, the DGX Station, set for release later this year, is built with the GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip and 784GB of memory. According to Nvidia, these supercomputers will allow users to prototype, fine-tune, and deploy AI models with greater efficiency.
Huang described the devices as the future of computing, highlighting their role in supporting AI applications across enterprises. Nvidia has partnered with major manufacturers, including Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, to bring these machines to market. As AI adoption continues to surge, these systems could become essential tools for developers and businesses looking to stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven world.
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