An Engineers team at Penn introduces a Chip That Drives AI with Light Rather Than Electricity

The future of computing might evolve in the coming years. Well, we saying this based on new research by a team of engineers at Penn. Reportedly, the engineers have designed a new chip that uses light to drive AI computations at improved processing speeds. In simple words, it eliminates the requirement of energy.

The field of silicon-photonics (SiPh), which combines the remarkable ability of Silicon to manipulate light is at the center of this revolution. It align with silicon’s abundance and affordability as the building block of traditional computer processors. This collaboration builds on the groundbreaking research of Penn Professor Nader Engheta, who has studied how light waves can be used to fine-tune materials at the nanoscale to perform intricate mathematical operations.

Well, this is not simply another chip rather it can drive a paradigm shift in the computing industry. Although the traditional computing chips have advanced still, they somehow works on 1960s concepts. The new chip, on the other hand, is based on a completely different principle. It has the capacity to perform calculations at the unmatched speed of light.

The new chip was developed under a collaborative project. Firooz Aflatouni, Associate Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn made significant contributions for this. The chip showcases a unique and interesting design. It is built on varied height of silicon wafer in some areas. Such a design allows for scattering light in precise patterns that help with the execution of mathematical operations.

The chip offers improved privacy besides the fast computation and low power consumption. The chip doesn’t store data in the working memory of a computer. Such a technology eliminates the possibility of potential attacks by hackers. All we can do for now is wait and see when this chip starts making an appearance in our everyday gadgets, which is bound to take some time.