The world of electronic design is undergoing a quiet revolution. Once defined by meticulous manual work in CAD and EDA tools, today’s workflows are being reshaped by artificial intelligence and automation, and the overwhelming promise to make hardware design as dynamic and iterative as software engineering.
From Manual CAD to Intelligent Design Workflows
Traditional electronic design automation (EDA) has long relied on engineers painstakingly defining every trace, rule, and constraint. But at this year’s Design Automation Conference (DAC 2025), Siemens unveiled its next-generation AI-enhanced EDA suite, signalling a shift toward more intelligent, adaptive design systems.
These tools can automatically handle repetitive tasks such as placement, routing, and rule checking, freeing engineers to focus on system-level innovation rather than low-level detail.
The introduction of Siemens’ AI-driven capabilities for semiconductor and PCB workflows marks a major step forward in how complex electronics are conceived and verified.
Smarter Layouts: AI-Guided Placement, Routing & Optimisation
AI’s most immediate impact is being felt in PCB design, where placement and routing have traditionally consumed hours of manual tweaking. Modern PCB design software increasingly embeds AI-powered assistants that propose optimised layouts requiring fewer manual adjustments.
Machine learning and generative algorithms can now evaluate millions of configurations in seconds by reducing crosstalk, balancing power and signal integrity, and automatically satisfying thermal and mechanical constraints.
This approach mirrors developments in chip design, where AI tools from companies like Synopsys and Cadence already outperform humans in placement density and timing optimisation.
For PCB assembly, AI also improves design-for-manufacture (DFM) validation, predicting potential defects or inefficiencies before a prototype is ever built. However, as many engineers note, the challenge lies in balancing automation with creative oversight, ensuring the machine’s “perfect” solution is still practical and testable in the real world.
End-to-End Automation: From Specification to Fabrication
Perhaps the most transformative potential lies in end-to-end automation. AI is beginning to bridge every stage of the hardware lifecycle; from interpreting natural-language specifications to auto-generating schematics and validating manufacturability, all the way through to actual fabrication.
The latest approaches even use AI to “turn layouts into code,” allowing for automated PCB creation and dramatically shortening design turnaround times. Such workflows promise to make rapid prototyping and iteration the norm rather than the exception.
Challenges, Risks & the Path to Adoption
Yet, as with all technological leaps, challenges still remain. AI-driven design raises questions about data privacy, model transparency, and “black box” decision-making in safety-critical applications.
Engineers must also adapt to new ways of working by shifting from deterministic rule application to probabilistic guidance. Siemens’ partnership with CELUS last year appears key to addressing these barriers.
By developing explainable and accessible AI frameworks for smaller firms, they aim to democratise intelligent EDA adoption across the electronics sector. The ultimate goal is not to replace human designers, but to augment them by empowering engineers to move faster, design smarter, and innovate beyond the limits of manual CAD.
