Synopsys and OpenAI will share revenue from an AI model for chip design, putting both companies behind a tool meant to speed work on computing chips used across the industry. The companies announced the deal Wednesday, Sept. 30. Separately, a report says the Federal Trade Commission is preparing formal demands for information from OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI labs over potential consumer risks; Reuters said it couldn't verify that report.
A private deal over chip design
Synopsys makes software for designing computing chips. Under the agreement, OpenAI will pay a training subscription fee to learn how to use Synopsys tools. When Synopsys customers use the resulting product, the companies will share revenue based on how well the model improves a chip’s design, Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi told Reuters. The source doesn't disclose the fee or how the companies will calculate the revenue share.
The work begins with a description of a chip’s circuits in a code-like language, then extends to arranging billions of transistors on a small square of silicon. OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman said in a video announcing the deal that the model will learn to use Synopsys software to help engineers work through design trade-offs and optimizations. The goal, he said, is “to be able to shave off weeks, months from the design process and to bring more chips to the world.”
That promised speed comes with a commercial structure: OpenAI pays to train on Synopsys tools, and both companies stand to share revenue when customers use the product. The announcement came at a Synopsys investor summit, where Ghazi also said the company expects 15% revenue growth for fiscal 2027, above analyst estimates of 11.19%, according to LSEG data. Synopsys shares rose as much as 7% after the partnership and forecast announcement.
The model gets a corporate safety net
Synopsys says its traditional computing tools will double-check the model’s work to verify whether a chip will function. Ghazi said, “The model needs these guardrails in order to check the physics.” He added that validating results with the highest level of fidelity, which the company calls “sign-off or ground truth,” is essential.
Ghazi also said the deal “will not be cannibalizing our business” and “will be an upside to our business given we're delivering more value to the customer.” The CEO made those assurances at the same investor summit where the company raised its revenue-growth outlook. The deal says the companies sharing revenue and customers using the product stand to benefit; it gives no details about customer pricing or how any savings would reach them.
A reported federal inquiry, not a confirmed one
The New York Post reported Wednesday that the FTC plans to issue formal demands, similar to subpoenas, asking AI companies to turn over information. The report cited administration officials. It described a possible federal inquiry into potential risks to consumers, but Reuters said it couldn't verify the report.
The FTC, Anthropic and OpenAI didn't immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The report gives no details establishing what information the FTC would seek or what action it might take afterward. The companies announced the deal; the federal demands remain reported, not confirmed. In both developments, the available account records decisions and statements from companies and government bodies, while offering no direct response from chip designers or consumers.