https://greekreporter.com/2026/01/31/china-optical-computer-chips-power-next-wave-ai/

As the race for more powerful artificial intelligence (AI)
tools accelerates, China is placing major bets on optical
computer chips to overcome the speed and energy limits of
traditional electronic hardware ...

Chen and his team reported a breakthrough last month
with the development of LightGen, the first all-optical
chip designed to handle advanced generative AI models.
Built using layers of engineered metasurfaces that manipulate
light at the nanoscale, the chip contains millions of photonic
neurons.

Zengguang Cheng, a materials scientist at Fudan University
in Shanghai, said the country has strong motivation to explore
new approaches in computing. He noted that China?s 14th Five-
Year Plan includes goals related to photonics and quantum
technologies, backed by steady government funding.

. . .

Maybe rather than trying to compete with western silicon
it would be a better use of resources to perfect photonic
processing and quantum tech instead.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-01-31, c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:

https://greekreporter.com/2026/01/31/china-optical-computer-chips-power-next-wave-ai/

As the race for more powerful artificial intelligence (AI)
tools accelerates, China is placing major bets on optical
computer chips to overcome the speed and energy limits of
traditional electronic hardware ...

Chen and his team reported a breakthrough last month
with the development of LightGen, the first all-optical
chip designed to handle advanced generative AI models.
Built using layers of engineered metasurfaces that manipulate
light at the nanoscale, the chip contains millions of photonic
neurons.

Zengguang Cheng, a materials scientist at Fudan University
in Shanghai, said the country has strong motivation to explore
new approaches in computing. He noted that China?s 14th Five-
Year Plan includes goals related to photonics and quantum
technologies, backed by steady government funding.

. . .

Maybe rather than trying to compete with western silicon
it would be a better use of resources to perfect photonic
processing and quantum tech instead.

China often lies about its technological capabilities. I don't see
evidence that this is anything other than more fluff. The article is
very light on evidence of any breakthrough.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.8
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 1 Feb 2026 00:25:08 -0000 (UTC), Borax Man wrote:

China often lies about its technological capabilities.

Seems people in the US alternate between claiming China is lying about
its progress, and being terrified that it will gain a bona fide technological lead over them, and they mustn?t allow that to happen. There is no
place in-between where they can envision a world where both China and
the US are technological leaders, coexisting peacefully and both
contributing to the world economy.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.10
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 1/31/26 19:25, Borax Man wrote:

On 2026-01-31, c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:

https://greekreporter.com/2026/01/31/china-optical-computer-chips-power-next-wave-ai/

As the race for more powerful artificial intelligence (AI)
tools accelerates, China is placing major bets on optical
computer chips to overcome the speed and energy limits of
traditional electronic hardware ...

Chen and his team reported a breakthrough last month
with the development of LightGen, the first all-optical
chip designed to handle advanced generative AI models.
Built using layers of engineered metasurfaces that manipulate
light at the nanoscale, the chip contains millions of photonic
neurons.

Zengguang Cheng, a materials scientist at Fudan University
in Shanghai, said the country has strong motivation to explore
new approaches in computing. He noted that China?s 14th Five-
Year Plan includes goals related to photonics and quantum
technologies, backed by steady government funding.

. . .

Maybe rather than trying to compete with western silicon
it would be a better use of resources to perfect photonic
processing and quantum tech instead.

China often lies about its technological capabilities. I don't see
evidence that this is anything other than more fluff. The article is
very light on evidence of any breakthrough.

It wasn't intended as an "in depth" article.

However I'm no longer inclined to crap on
Chinese tech capabilities.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.10
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)