China is pouring resources into photonic computing as generative AI strains the limits of conventional silicon. Researchers say optical chips—processing photons instead of electrons—promise faster performance and lower power draw, and China’s publication output in the field has surged amid U.S. curbs on advanced semiconductors. A Chinese team recently unveiled an all‑optical “LightGen” chip that they say generates images and video at speeds and energy efficiency rivaling top GPUs, though the technology remains years from mainstream deployment. The push underscores Beijing’s drive to sidestep export controls and secure high-performance computing alternatives, even as challenges in scaling, reconfigurability and training loom.
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