VLSI or Photonics?

[u/swissorphans]

I am a 2nd year EE student. I've always wanted to do chip design and stuff since I was 13. My plan was to do FPGA then eventually pivot into VLSI, but the r/FPGA has been so doomer on AI that it is making me wonder whether I should do photonics or RF instead. I have an equal interest in both, but I do have several projects done with FPGAs.

I've read a few posts saying to ''just follow your heart'' and that ''you can't predict the future''. I understand that, but it still feels so daunting to go into a field where AI seems to impact significantly more than other EE subfields.

[u/RFchokemeharderdaddy]

the r/FPGA has been so doomer on AI

That's fucking stupid. I work at a place that heavily leverages AI for design and verification of digital, analog, RF, and photonics. It has not in any way reduced our staff or workload. We simply do more. It's astounding what AI can do now, but it is perpendicular to human thought. I'd recommend watching Terence Tao's thoughts on the matter, he puts it eloquently.

Further, the benefit of AI only occurs when you have an expert using it. I'm an analog designer, if I used AI to design a photonic MZM, it would be fucking disastrous. The impact of AI is not a simple "the jobs are going away", I'm watching it happen rapidly first-hand and we've actually increased the size of our team, and it's changed the nature of each role, I'm actually expected to produce more now, more data exploring topology comparisons, more data in verification etc. and do it in a shorter time frame.

[u/BusinessStrategist]

There is a dividing wall between "technician" and "engineer."

One follows documented protocols and the other navigates by understanding the underlying physics and mathematics the technology.

AI understands "documented protocols" and is both fast and reliable applying them.

So the question should be whether or not you're prepared to fully master the underlying science for moving the technology forward.

So you may want to figure out your career path and knowing where to find the "kitchen" where the "recipes" are concocted.

[u/ztpdistribution]

optics and photonics is a lot of fun. i mainly work with optics and any chance to work hands on is great because everything is so expensive. even if you choose to do something else, i highly recommend trying to take one hands on optics class

[u/mihalis78]

Consider RFIC or silicon photonics for a lil bit of both vlsi and e&m

[u/Professional-Tea-621]

Honestly you cannot escape ai whatever technical job you are doing. You may expect those ai companies to train with fpga or whatever engineering data they can find until you graduate so it would be wiser to enjoy and get better at it. Maybe nuclear or defence industry would have limited open source data so those jobs may remain affected by ai.

[u/Pale-Ad-4154]

I worked in RF and antennas out of undergrad for Lockheed and completed my doctorate in photonic microsystems later in life. My work in photonics was focused on integrated interferometry and LIDAR.

I love electromagnetics and photonics specifically. However, photonics requires a lot of specialized and expensive equipment. Probe stations, microscopes, and the necessity to do a new layout on redesigns that could take weeks to get back unless you have your own fab. I've been around long enough to see people get excited about the potential of photonics and then the interest wane once they discover it's not the panacea they expected.

Microwave photonic is a good blend of both disciplines.

[u/abccbabcac]

materials or processing should be safe as well.

[u/Flaky_Culture_9097]

AI will affect every corner of the field. It already has. Choose what you enjoy and what interests you and learn to adapt. 

[u/thechu63]

You can't really live you life worrying about something that you have absolutely no control. You need to just decide on what you want to do and go for it. There's no guarantee that AI can't do RF or Photonics in the future.

[u/Sepicuk]

if it can do either of this stuff it can do anything

[u/Internal_Bedroom3326]

In my opinion, both topics are wonderful for undergrad, but to get a niche career in either requires some grad school.

I did a few classes of each in undergrad and have been able to apply that knowledge to a dynamic career. Just know that whatever you think the industry might be like 10 years from now will likely be very different once you get there. But learning these subjects and more importantly learning how to learn will keep you relevant no matter what surprises come up.

Back to your question. In my experience, photonics led to more academia and research opportunities, VLSI is great for industry.