# OpenAI details AI‑assisted design of its Jalapeño ASIC

> OpenAI’s hardware chief says AI helped design its new Jalapeño chip in nine months, setting a new industry baseline.

Oossa · 2026-09-30 · https://oossa.com/en/openai-details-ai-assisted-design-of-its-jalapeno-asic

Produced and translated with AI assistance. Check the original sources below.

OpenAI’s head of hardware, Richard Ho, explained that the company used AI to design its new Jalapeño ASIC. The AI helped both the chip hardware and the software that will run on it. The design process went from early RTL code to tapeout in just nine months, and the whole concept‑to‑reveal cycle was under two years. Ho said this timeline sets a new baseline for the industry.

## The facts

- The ASIC design took nine months from RTL to tapeout.
- The concept‑to‑reveal timeline was less than two years.

## Why it matters

A faster, AI‑driven chip design cycle could speed up new hardware releases across the tech sector.

## Sources & references

1. [‘This is how AI should be used’ — OpenAI head of hardware breaks down the AI-assisted design of its Jalapeño ASIC](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/asics/this-is-how-ai-should-be-used-openai-head-of-hardware-breaks-down-the-ai-assisted-design-of-its-jalapeno-asic) – Tom's Hardware, 2026-09-30

Last updated: 2026-09-30