I wonder if evolvable hardware [0] is the next step. In 1996, they optimized an FPGA using a genetic algorithm. It evolved gates disconnected from the circuit,

I wonder if evolvable hardware [0] is the next step. In 1996, they optimized an FPGA using a genetic algorithm. It evolved gates disconnected from the circuit, but were required. The circuit exploited the minuscule magnetic fields from the disconnected gates rather than the logical connections. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolvable_hardware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolvable_hardware