BePilot: An AI Programming Assistant for Compiler Backend Development

Abstract

BePilot is introduced as a specialized AI programming assistant designed to streamline the complex, architecture-specific development of compiler backends. The assistant targets the automation of tedious or error-prone tasks such as instruction selection, register allocation, and optimization pass development within major compiler frameworks. This innovation promises to accelerate compiler development cycles and improve code quality, drastically enhancing productivity for specialized compiler engineers.

Report

Key Highlights

• Specialized Focus: BePilot concentrates specifically on the highly complex domain of compiler backend development, a critical but often resource-intensive phase of compiler engineering.
• AI Augmentation: The tool functions as an AI programming assistant, leveraging advanced models (likely LLMs or specialized ML models) to aid in generating, reviewing, and debugging architecture-specific machine code generation.
• Efficiency Gain: The primary goal is to significantly reduce the time and effort required to port compilers to new architectures or implement custom Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) extensions.
• Target Users: Engineers working on LLVM/GCC backends, especially those dealing with Instruction Selection and optimization passes.

Technical Details

• Integration: BePilot is anticipated to integrate seamlessly with existing open-source compiler infrastructure, such as LLVM's TableGen description language or GCC's architectural definition files, allowing it to interpret existing ISA specifications.
• Core Functionality (Inferred): Key technical capabilities likely include automated generation of instruction patterns, assistance with peephole optimization implementation, and debugging register allocation failures using context-aware AI analysis.
• Methodology (Inferred): The tool likely uses a Large Language Model (LLM) fine-tuned on massive datasets of compiler source code, architectural specifications (like ISA manuals), and historical bug fixes (commit data) to provide highly accurate and relevant code suggestions.

Implications

• Acceleration of RISC-V Ecosystem: Compiler support is the critical bottleneck for the rapid adoption of new RISC-V cores and custom extensions. By automating backend development, BePilot drastically lowers the barrier to entry for hardware designers to define and deploy custom RISC-V instructions.
• Improved Software Maturity: Faster, more efficient compiler development leads to more stable and optimized toolchains for new architectures, accelerating the overall software maturity of platforms using novel ISAs.
• Democratization of Compiler Engineering: This type of tool can potentially reduce the necessity for decades of highly specialized experience for certain routine backend tasks, making compiler maintenance and porting more accessible to a broader engineering audience.
• Impact on Custom Hardware: As specialized hardware accelerators become common (often using custom RISC-V extensions), tools like BePilot become essential for providing high-quality, efficient compiler support necessary to maximize the performance benefits of that hardware.