Aren't all ISAs "byte code" at this point? They all get translated in the microcode layer before being issued to the actual machine instructions of the various cores, at least in x86.

Are there any modern CPUs that do what RISC did and the instructions were directly implemented in circuitry, bypassing microcode translation?

I almost would like CPUs to offer programmable microcode layers at this point (yes, easier said than done) so some cores could be dedicated to emulation at the microcode level. The last major ISA switch was Apple's from x86 to ARM. But it would probably be better to just get an FPGA as part of the embarrassment of riches in chip silicon.

You know, an FPGA could be rebranded as an AI processor for the hype train. I think the AI hype they are blathering about in current processors is just vector processing that the video cards do better anyway, but I haven't bothered to parse the propaganda.