"Universal photonic artificial intelligence acceleration" (2025) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08854-x :

> Abstract: [...] Here we introduce a photonic AI processor that executes advanced AI models, including ResNet [3] and BERT [20,21], along with the Atari deep reinforcement learning algorithm originally demonstrated by DeepMind [22]. This processor achieves near-electronic precision for many workloads, marking a notable entry for photonic computing into competition with established electronic AI accelerators [23] and an essential step towards developing post-transistor computing technologies.

This is going to transform our society more than anything else. A giant foundation model can be cast for very, very cheap inference. Imagine the improvement from room sized computers to your iPhone, applied to this branch of technology.

Photon-based chips vs electron-based chips? It's interesting that photons and electrons are closely related: two neutral photons can become an electron-positron pair and vice versa.

The paper mentions that their photonic chip is less precise than an electronic one, but this looks like an advantage for AI. In fact, the stubborn precision of electron-based processors that erase the quantum nature of electrons is what I think is preventing the creation of real AI. In other words, if a microprocessor is effectively a deterministic complex mechanism, it won't become AI no matter what, but if the quantum nature is let loose, at least slightly, interesting things will start to happen.