Leveraging silicon photonics for scalable and sustainable AI hardware

Universal photonic artificial intelligence acceleration

Over the past decade, photonics research has explored accelerated tensor operations, foundational to artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning1–4, as a path towards enhanced energy efficiency and performance5–14. The field is centrally motivated by finding alternative technologies to extend computational progress in a post-Moore’s law and Dennard scaling era15–19. Despite these advances, no photonic chip has achieved the precision necessary…

Leveraging silicon photonics for scalable and sustainable AI hardware

The emergence of AI has profoundly transformed numerous industries. Driven by deep learning technology and Big Data, AI requires significant processing power for training its models. While the existing AI infrastructure relies on graphical processing units (GPUs), the substantial processing demands and energy expenses associated with its operation remain key challenges. Adopting a more efficient and sustainable AI infrastructure paves the way fo…

A computer that uses light to process data just played Pac-Man

Two new studies suggest optical computing will address "bottlenecks in traditional computing" and reduce energy demands driven by advances in AI.

With the progress of artificial intelligence, global energy demand is increasing. Researchers from Lightmatter are now presenting a photonic processor to operate AI models more energy-efficiently. The study reveals the potential of the technology - but challenges remain.

Next generation computer chips could process data at the speed of light – new research

3dartists / ShutterstockElectronic microchips are at the heart of the modern world. They’re found in our laptops, our smartphones, our cars and our household appliances. For years, manufacturers have been making them more powerful and efficient, which increases the performance of our electronic devices. But that trend is now faltering because of the increased cost and complexity of manufacturing chips, as well as performance limits set by the la…

Lightmatter shows new type of computer chip that could reduce AI energy use

SAN FRANCISCO :Silicon Valley startup Lightmatter revealed on Wednesday it had developed a new type of computer chip that could both speed up artificial intelligence work and use less electricity in the process.Valued at $4.4 billion after raising $850 million in venture capital, Lightmatter is one of a numbe