Prof. Georges Gielen

Analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits are key in applications where electronics interface with the
physical world. The design of analog circuits, however, is time consuming and prone to errors, often
requiring multiple redesign cycles. The rebirth of AI and machine learning, and the recent rise of
generative AI methods, on the other hand, create a whole new spectrum of techniques to automate this
process. This invited talk will explore the high potential of using advanced machine learning (ML)
techniques to automatically synthesize and lay out analog integrated circuits. What are the capabilities
of LLMs and agentic AI to support or take over the task of analog circuit design? What is hype and what
will be feasible? Will we still need human analog designers in the future and how will they operate with
or without AI?

Biography:

Georges G.E. Gielen received the MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium, in 1986 and 1990, respectively. Currently, he is Full Professor in the MICAS research division at the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) at KU Leuven. From August 2013 until July 2017 he served as Vice-Rector for the Group of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. In 2018 he was visiting professor at UC Berkeley and Stanford University. From 2020 to 2024 he served as Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) at KU Leuven. His research interests are in the design of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, and especially in analog and mixed-
signal CAD tools and design automation, including modeling, simulation, optimization and synthesis as well as testing. He is a frequently invited speaker/lecturer and coordinator/partner of several (industrial) research projects in this area, including an ERC Advanced Grant. He has (co-)authored 10 books and more than 700 publications in edited books, international journals and conference proceedings. He is a 1997 L Laureate of the Belgian Royal Academy of Sciences, Literature and Arts in the discipline of Engineering. He is Fellow of the IEEE since 2002, and
received the IEEE CAS Mac Van Valkenburg award in 2015 and the IEEE CAS Charles Desoer award in 2020, as well as the EDAA Achievement Award in 2021. He is an elected member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium in the class of Technical Sciences and of the Academia Europaea.

Email:

Address:MICAS research division, Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Belgium, , Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium