Futurology

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University of Pennsylvania researchers say their photonic chip that uses light instead of electricity, can radically cut down the energy consumption of AI and is commercially available for use now. (www.eurekalert.org)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] pelya 18 points 7 months ago (3 children)

So the whole chip is a complicated lens, that somehow can perform multiplication using 'analogue computation'.

Arxiv link

[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Imo, analog computation is the way forward with this whole AI thing. It seems like a waste to perform calculations bit-by-bit when neural nets are generally okay with "fuzzy math" anyway.

[–] FenrirIII 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I don't want fuzzy math anywhere near autonomous armed machines. You want ED-209? Because that's how you get ED-209.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

human brains are the epitome of fuzzy math machines

[–] Anticorp 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

And have you seen what we've done with weapons for the entirety of our history?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah so nothing will change

[–] Anticorp 2 points 7 months ago

Well we'd no longer be the dominant life form on the planet, and we'd get dealt a lot of our own medicine. So, quite a lot would change.

[–] Noodle07 1 points 7 months ago

Uuuh fuzzy results?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

I mean, I personally agree, but the military has already made it clear they don't mind. ED-209 is basically an inevitability at this point.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

Idk, maybe. But i think you may have issues with tolerances and reproducibility. With analog and neutral nets your going to have edgecases where some devices will give vastly differing outcomes. For something that's fine but not for others.

[–] Anticorp 3 points 7 months ago

Sounds like we're building a true android then.

[–] Anticorp 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

So first we tricked rocks into doing math, and now we've figured out how to trick glass into doing math? This is truly amazing.

[–] pelya 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

We tricked the same rocks we use for doing math into bending light like the glass, and we use that for doing math, yes.

[–] Anticorp 1 points 7 months ago

Reality is mind boggling sometimes.

[–] Mango 2 points 7 months ago

Digital is also analog.