"Class EDA: Why This is the Most Unshakeable Software Moat in the AI Era" In the trend of AI impacting the software industry, most engineering software will be reshaped by generative AI. Only a small portion of the moats will actually deepen. The watershed depends on one question: Is this software an "interface to physical reality"? 1. What is "Class EDA" software? EDA is special not because it serves the chip industry, but because it occupies an extreme position: Design errors are irreversible; a mistake means scrapping, and the costs are extremely high. Results must comply with physical laws. Software output directly equals production instructions. In this scenario, AI cannot bypass the original system to regenerate answers. Its only mode of action is to embed itself, helping to reduce the error rate further. This type of software, I call "Class EDA". 2. Why the moat of EDA deepens in the AI era Because the functions are complex, and failures are unacceptable. The private domain data accumulated in chip design—PDK tuning, timing boundaries, process compromise solutions—share a common point: They become invalid once separated from the original tools. These data are neither universal nor easy to explain, and cannot be generalized for learning. AI can use them to optimize processes but cannot replicate a set of "new systems independent of EDA". The result is:...