Many of the teams developing Graphcore’s core technology work across disciplines to support the next generation of AI computing.
For Demitri Peynado, Silicon Verification Engineer, based in Bristol. The path into semiconductor engineering started with a fascination for building systems from scratch. He also discovered a passion for creative writing, finding unexpected parallels between storytelling and solving technical problems.
From playing computer games to writing computer language
I have wanted to work on computer chips for a long time. It goes back to building complex machines in Minecraft as a teenager. What stayed with me was the excitement of creating something that actually worked.
When I entered the industry as an undergraduate, I found myself learning a wide range of programming languages. I had been studying electronic engineering because I was interested in hardware, but this experience drew me into software as well. Since then, writing good programs has been a central focus for me.
I had the idea of designing my own programming language a few years later. Those early days were genuinely exciting, especially when I was writing small self-checking programs to run on the CPU as part of verification.
Discovering the freedom of creative writing
Then the pandemic happened and I began exploring other interests alongside work. One of those was writing.
I rediscovered my creativity as an adult and found a space where I could explore ideas without constraints. Over time, I started to notice that this way of thinking did not stay confined to writing fiction.
I wanted the same opportunities to freely share ideas in my professional life too. It made me realise that I valued being able to explore ideas with other people. When I learned about an opportunity to work with a growing team at Graphcore in the exciting field of AI, and I had to check it out.
For me, AI is a powerful tool, but it does not replace the imaginative leap that comes from human creativity.
Finding a new home at Graphcore
When I started the interview process at Graphcore, visiting the office and meeting my potential colleagues was invaluable. The way people interacted with me stood out. There was a sense of kindness and respect that made it easy to imagine being part of the team. Yes, recruitment team, you can genuinely attract people based on vibes.
Since joining Graphcore, I have come to see more clearly that creativity and technology are not separate things. I do not need to step away from engineering to be creative. Instead, creativity shows up in how I approach my work every day.
When creativity unlocks engineering
In my spare time I write fantasy fiction. Fantasy as a genre is full of unfamiliar worlds, unusual rules, and ideas that do not fit within normal expectations. Thinking in that way encourages me to question assumptions and consider possibilities that might otherwise be overlooked. That mindset carries over into technical work, where solving difficult problems often requires looking beyond what is already known.
In the end, it comes back to something simple. Writing a book is creation. Writing a program is creation. Writing documentation is also creation, even if it is sometimes a little less exciting. For a long time, I thought I had to choose between different parts of myself. Now I see that they are connected.
I am, at my core, a creator.
If you’re interested in exploring difficult problems, thinking creatively, and building technology alongside people who are curious, collaborative, and ambitious, take a look at our current opportunities and see where you might fit.
