How Agentic AI Will Transform IC Design Productivity

The semiconductor industry is entering a period of growth that is exceeding earlier expectations, driven largely by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Speaking during his Forum Session at COMPUTEX 2026, Dr. Paul Cunningham, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the System Verification Group at Cadence Design Systems, argued that the industry’s next challenge is no longer simply building more powerful chips. Instead, it is finding ways to design increasingly complex semiconductor systems quickly enough to keep pace with AI innovation.