The Light Path: How Photonics Will Power AI’s Future
At NTT’s recent R&D Forum 2024, two pivotal presentations captured the technology world’s attention by addressing one of AI’s most pressing challenges: its voracious appetite for computing power.
The first, a strategic overview featuring NTT’s Global CMO Veto Mabrucco, explored how photonics — the science of light-based computing — could revolutionize AI infrastructure.
The second, a technical deep-dive led by Shinji Matsuo, NTT Device Innovation Center fellow, and Toru Nishikawa of Preferred Networks, revealed the architectural breakthroughs that will make this revolution possible.
This article synthesizes insights from both sessions to paint a picture of how photonic computing could resolve AI’s energy crisis while unlocking unprecedented capabilities that drive a broad range of societal benefits.
The Power Paradox
In the race to power artificial intelligence, we’re facing a critical paradox. Today’s data centers, the engines behind our AI revolution, already consume a staggering 2% of global electricity.
