A single beam of light runs AI with supercomputer power
Aalto University researchers have developed a method to execute AI tensor operations using just one pass of light. By encoding data directly into light waves, they enable calculations to occur naturally and simultaneously. The approach works passively, without electronics, and could soon be integrated into photonic chips. If adopted, it promises dramatically faster and more energy-efficient AI systems.
Penn Engineers have developed the first programmable chip that can train nonlinear neural networks using light—a breakthrough that could dramatically speed up AI training, reduce energy use and even pave the way for fully light-powered computers.
Despite significant progress in developing AI systems that can understand the physical world like humans do, researchers have struggled with modeling a certain aspect of our visual system: the perception of light.