Photonic Chips Curb AI Training’s Energy Appetite

Processors that use light instead of electricity show promise as a faster and more energy-efficient way to implement AI. So far they’ve only been used to run models that have already been trained, but new research has demonstrated the ability to train AI on an optical chip for the first time. As AI models get ever larger there is growing concern about the amount of energy they consume, both due to ballooning costs and the potential impact on the environment. This is spurring interest in new approaches that can reduce AI’s energy bills, with photonic processors emerging as a leading candidate.