The New Compiler Stack: A Survey on the Synergy of LLMs and Compilers

TL;DR

This survey reviews how large language models are transforming compilers by enabling new design approaches, optimization strategies, and expanding their scope, while highlighting key challenges and future directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive taxonomy of LLM-enabled compilation approaches and identifies core benefits, challenges, and promising research paths in this emerging field.

Findings

LLMs facilitate democratization of compiler development

Discovery of novel optimization strategies using LLMs

Broadening of compiler scope with LLM integration

Abstract

This survey has provided a systematic overview of the emerging field of LLM-enabled compilation by addressing several key research questions. We first answered how LLMs are being integrated by proposing a comprehensive, multi-dimensional taxonomy that categorizes works based on their Design Philosophy (Selector, Translator, Generator), LLM Methodology, their operational Level of Code Abstraction, and the specific Task Type they address. In answering what advancements these approaches offer, we identified three primary benefits: the democratization of compiler development, the discovery of novel optimization strategies, and the broadening of the compiler's traditional scope. Finally, in addressing the field's challenges and opportunities, we highlighted the critical hurdles of ensuring correctness and achieving scalability, while identifying the development of hybrid systems as the most promising path forward. By providing these answers, this survey serves as a foundational roadmap for researchers and practitioners, charting the course for a new generation of LLM-powered, intelligent, adaptive and synergistic compilation tools.