Computers that use light instead of circuits to run calculations may sound like a plot point from a Star Trek episode, but researchers have been working on this novel approach to computing for years.
They're called optical computers, and labs around the world have been exploring how they might be useful in everyday life.
On Wednesday, a team of researchers from Penn State published a paper in the journal Science Advances that examines how optical computing could reduce the power consumption of artificial intelligence systems.
Xingjie Ni, an engineering professor at Penn State and one of the paper's authors, told CNET that the work is a proof of concept for how optical computing could benefit the fast-growing AI industry in the future.
"Sometimes progress comes from rethinking familiar physics with a new goal," Ni said. "By revisiting classic ideas in optics through the lens of modern AI challenges, we can open up practical new directions for faster, greener computing hardware."
Powering AI
As AI is increasingly adopted for work and home use, the issue of AI's energy costs is pertinent. So much computing power is required to run AI products and services like ChatGPT, and a lot of energy is consumed in the process.
You may live in or near a town where a tech company is planning to build a data center, or your monthly utility bill could increase due to higher demand on the local power grid.
The International Energy Agency estimates that data centers accounted for about 1.5% of global energy consumption in 2024 and that this figure increased 12% per year in the five years prior. The IEA also estimates that data center energy use could double by 2030.
That's why using an alternative computational method to reduce the power AI consumes is an attractive prospect.
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