AI-Based Hardware Trojan Detection and Mitigation

Hardware Trojans (HTs) represent a critical and emerging threat in the domain of integrated circuits (ICs) and electronic system design, fundamentally undermining the trustworthiness, security, and functionality of modern computing hardware. At their core, hardware Trojans are malicious modifications intentionally inserted into electronic circuits, either during the design, fabrication, or post-manufacturing stages, to cause undesirable behaviours, data leakage, performance degradation, or complete system failure. Unlike software malware, which can be patched, updated, or detected through conventional antivirus mechanisms, hardware Trojans are deeply embedded within the physical structure of a device, making detection highly challenging and, in some cases, nearly impossible without specialised analytical tools. These threats have become increasingly relevant due to the globalisation of semiconductor manufacturing, where ICs are often designed in one country and fabricated in another, creating multiple trust boundaries that adversaries can exploit.