AMD buys silicon photonics startup Enosemi to fuel its AI ambitions

AMD has acquired Enosemi, a startup designing custom materials to support silicon photonics product development. The terms of the deal, announced Wednesday, weren’t disclosed. Silicon photonics uses light — photons — to transmit data, offering a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional electrical communication. AMD and other chipmakers have shown an increasing interest in the tech. Late last year, AMD reportedly teamed up with several Taiwan startups for a silicon photonics R&D collaboration. AMD says that its acquisition of Enosemi will “accelerate [its] co-packaged optics innovation for AI systems.” “As AI models grow larger and more complex, the need for faster, more efficient data movement is accelerating,” Brian Armick, SVP of tech and engineering at AMD, wrote in a blog post. “Enosemi has collaborated with us as an external development partner on photonics, and this acquisition extends that successful relationship. Now, as part of AMD, the team will help us immedia ... Read full article.