China has launched the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Integrated Photonic Computing Chips and Systems at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, as the country seeks lower-power AI hardware under US technology curbs.

The lab, launched on June 10 and based at the university, is China’s first industry-academia platform dedicated to photonic computing.

It will study chip architectures, silicon photonics integration, optical components, and the algorithms and commercial applications needed to make the technology viable.

The launch comes as global data centers used about 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, with AI identified as a main driver of demand growth.

It also follows US controls that have restricted exports of advanced AI chips to China, while limiting Chinese access to overseas foundries and advanced high-bandwidth memory.

Lab director Zou Weiwen said photonic, or optical, computing could offer advantages in bandwidth, latency, and energy efficiency. But he said scientific challenges still need to be overcome before the technology can achieve its theoretical performance.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

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