WAIC hosts first dedicated AI optical computing forum, domestic optical computing ecosystem accelerates commercial rollout

The World Artificial Intelligence Conference has staged its first-ever specialised forum fully focused on AI optical computing power, opening a new industry dialogue platform for upgrading artificial intelligence infrastructure through optical technology. The event gathers decision-makers from telecom operators, cloud vendors, chip developers and system integrators to discuss the industrial value and iterative direction of optical computing and optical interconnection technologies.

Current large-scale AI model training relies on massive GPU clusters, yet traditional electrical interconnection frameworks face prominent technical bottlenecks. Cable-based electrical signal transmission generates substantial latency and surging power consumption over long distances, forming tangible ceilings for energy efficiency and computing expansion. Such constraints impose growing restrictions on the large-scale iteration and efficient deployment of advanced AI models.

Optical interconnection technologies continue evolving to resolve hardware transmission limitations. Early optical modules placed optical engines on server front panels, requiring lengthy copper wire transmission between optical units and main chips, resulting in high energy consumption and limited bandwidth. Near-packaged optics shortens transmission distances by relocating optical engines close to chip packaging areas. Co-packaged optics further integrates optical engines and main chips to achieve more efficient data interaction.

Near-packaged optics stands poised for large-scale commercial adoption, with major global technology enterprises actively advancing layout and verification. During this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference, integrated solutions for near-packaged optics switches and GPU servers equipped with near-packaged optics technology have been unveiled through joint efforts between domestic industry players. Co-packaged optics represents a longer-term technical route for industrial iteration. After displaying preliminary co-packaged optics prototypes based on domestic chips at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, industry participants have advanced substantive industrial cooperation. Strategic partnerships have been established to accelerate product iteration and mass production preparation.

Co-packaged optics development demands forward-looking industrial layout, as optical chips and electrical chips require in-depth collaborative design at the initial research and development stage rather than subsequent assembly. Domestic industry chains are forming complete technical and product capabilities. Advanced switching chips provide core hardware foundations for co-packaged optics implementation, while integrated silicon photonics, packaging and light source technologies support full-link independent research and development, driving domestic co-packaged optics technology from conceptual research toward practical engineering application.

Optical switching technology addresses flexible scheduling challenges for large-scale AI computing clusters, complementing optical interconnection that optimises point-to-point data transmission efficiency. Global technological exploration and commercial verification of all-optical switching are concentrated in North American and European markets, with sustained iteration of integrated hardware and software systems verifying the technical route’s comprehensive advantages in power consumption, cost and performance.

Domestic optical switching development has filled industrial gaps through continuous technological breakthroughs and product iteration. Distributed optical switching super-node solutions were launched in 2025, achieving top industrial recognition at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Ongoing technological optimisation and system joint debugging have transformed conceptual designs into scalable industrial products. Commercial deployment of 128-card optical switching systems has been completed, and thousand-card cluster applications have achieved stable landing at the current conference. Second-generation optical switching solutions adopting orthogonal backplane and distributed architectures have been released, supporting expanded super-node scale, substantially reducing power consumption and lowering latency to the hundred-nanosecond level.

Optical computing serves as a core technological approach to breaking through traditional chip computing bottlenecks. Industrial development divides optical computing evolution into three clear phases: theoretical exploration before 2015, product breakthroughs from 2015 to 2025, and market penetration over the next decade. Continuous iteration of domestic photonic computing processors promotes steady productisation of optical computing technologies. Industrial focus has shifted from pure performance benchmarking toward real-scene commercial implementation and stable operational verification.

Initial commercial landing scenarios cover daily machine vision identification, achieving long-term stable operation of optical computing technologies in high-frequency real commercial environments. Cross-industry strategic cooperation has been launched at this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference, covering visual intelligence, large model reasoning, AI for Science research and financial quantitative analysis to expand diversified application boundaries for optical computing technologies.

Silicon photonics technology maintains enormous industrial upgrading potential. The current proportion of silicon photonic chips in domestic intelligent computing centres remains relatively low, yet market penetration is set to rise significantly in the next three to five years. Shanghai has built a sound industrial incubation ecosystem for silicon photonics and optical computing. A provincial and ministerial-level key laboratory for integrated optical computing chips and systems has been launched in Zhangjiang, alongside targeted industrial cultivation policies and cluster construction initiatives. Collaborative mechanisms integrating policies, public platforms, enterprises and talent resources continue to improve, providing solid support for sustained technological innovation and industrial expansion of domestic optical computing sectors.