This book offers a structured methodology for applying generative AI to the functional verification of complex semiconductor designs, without sacrificing engineering accountability. It presents the VEGA framework—Verification Engineering through Guided AI—a complete verification lifecycle that treats AI as a governed accelerator, preserving traceability between design intent and verification evidence from specification through silicon sign-off.

Provides verification architects with a reliable framework to reduce pain of “ungoverned AI”

Describes prompts, templates, and quality gates, drawn from actual design verification challenges

Offers first comprehensive, methodologically grounded treatment of AI-assisted hardware verification

"VEGA arrives at exactly the right moment, when AI tools are powerful enough to transform verification productivity but undisciplined enough to undermine it. Vikash's intent-centric framework equips verification engineers, team leads, and architects to maintain quality and traceability from test plan through sign-off. A must-read for every hardware verification professional." — Gaurav Jalan, Vice President, Engineering, Marvell

"AI is becoming part of verification, but using it without structure can create more risk than value. Vikash's VEGA framework gives engineers a practical way to apply AI while preserving design intent, traceability, review discipline, and human accountability. This is a timely and useful book for verification engineers, leads, and students looking to understand where AI-assisted verification is heading." — Yunus Akhtar, Senior SoC Verification Engineer, Microsoft

"What stands out is the discipline. This isn't AI as a shortcut, it's AI as a governed accelerator, with verification quality made measurable rather than asserted and sign-off reframed as an evidence-based argument you can actually defend. Essential reading for any architect or lead bringing LLMs into a serious verification flow." — Manish Tanwar, DV Architect, AMD

Vikash Kumar is Senior Verification Architect at Arm with over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, specializing in the design and verification of complex semiconductor systems across IP, subsystem, and full System-on-Chip (SoC) levels. His work focuses on large-scale SoC integration, functional correctness, debug, and verification closure for high-performance designs using Verilog, SystemVerilog, and UVM. Prior to joining Arm, Vikash held engineering roles at Aricent Technologies and Intel, where he contributed to several large-scale silicon programs including the Intel Data Streaming Accelerator and Intel Analytics Accelerator. He has extensive hands-on experience with industry-standard interconnect and chiplet protocols including AMBA (AXI), CHI5, PCIe, and UCIe and has worked deeply on integration-level verification where subtle cross-boundary assumptions can lead to late-stage silicon escapes. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering from West Bengal University of Technology (W.B.U.T.), Kolkata, India.