- Joined
- Jan 20, 2026
- Messages
- 345
- Reaction score
- 2,235
Where silicon rests within its limits, light comes to the rescue.
Sber showed a development at the SPIEF that could change the approach to computing for artificial intelligence. Instead of the usual electronics, the new computer uses light, and the main bet is made on speed, low power consumption and the ability to reduce the load on the infrastructure, where large models are trained and work.
The company presented the first universal optical calculator in Russia for AI tasks. According to Sber, the device is also among the first such solutions in the world, designed not for laboratory demonstrations, but for real scenarios for the use of artificial intelligence.
The basis of the development was a photonic integrated circuit. The architecture was fully created by the Sber team. Andrey Belevtsev, Senior Vice-President and Head of the Technological Development Block, announced the project at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The optical calculator takes on one of the heaviest parts of AI work ИИ- the multiplication of matrices. Such an operation is at the heart of training and launching large models, so it is here that energy costs and requirements for the power of the equipment are especially noticeable. In the new device, the calculations are performed using light, which allows operations for a fraction of nanoseconds and almost not to release heat.
The first prototype, according to Belevtsev, already performs more than 1 billion matrix multiplication operations per second. In Sber, it is expected to bring the frequency of optical operations to 10 GHz and above. The company also claims that the power consumption of the optical core is more than 30% lower than that of electronic counterparts.
In Sbera, the development is associated not only with the acceleration of AI systems, but also with the increase in the cost of data centers. As the number of models and the volume of calculations increases, the energy consumption of infrastructure becomes a significant problem for business and the state. Photonics are seen as one way to make such power more economical and scalable.
A separate advantage Belevtsev called a simpler localization of the production of optical chips compared to electronic chips. In the future, such technology can reduce the cost of training and the use of large models, but the timing of industrial implementation of Sber has not yet disclosed.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is held from 3 to 6 June. The main theme of SPIEF in 2026 is associated with a pragmatic dialogue and the search for a sustainable model of development of the world economy.
Sber showed a development at the SPIEF that could change the approach to computing for artificial intelligence. Instead of the usual electronics, the new computer uses light, and the main bet is made on speed, low power consumption and the ability to reduce the load on the infrastructure, where large models are trained and work.
The company presented the first universal optical calculator in Russia for AI tasks. According to Sber, the device is also among the first such solutions in the world, designed not for laboratory demonstrations, but for real scenarios for the use of artificial intelligence.
The basis of the development was a photonic integrated circuit. The architecture was fully created by the Sber team. Andrey Belevtsev, Senior Vice-President and Head of the Technological Development Block, announced the project at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The optical calculator takes on one of the heaviest parts of AI work ИИ- the multiplication of matrices. Such an operation is at the heart of training and launching large models, so it is here that energy costs and requirements for the power of the equipment are especially noticeable. In the new device, the calculations are performed using light, which allows operations for a fraction of nanoseconds and almost not to release heat.
The first prototype, according to Belevtsev, already performs more than 1 billion matrix multiplication operations per second. In Sber, it is expected to bring the frequency of optical operations to 10 GHz and above. The company also claims that the power consumption of the optical core is more than 30% lower than that of electronic counterparts.
In Sbera, the development is associated not only with the acceleration of AI systems, but also with the increase in the cost of data centers. As the number of models and the volume of calculations increases, the energy consumption of infrastructure becomes a significant problem for business and the state. Photonics are seen as one way to make such power more economical and scalable.
A separate advantage Belevtsev called a simpler localization of the production of optical chips compared to electronic chips. In the future, such technology can reduce the cost of training and the use of large models, but the timing of industrial implementation of Sber has not yet disclosed.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is held from 3 to 6 June. The main theme of SPIEF in 2026 is associated with a pragmatic dialogue and the search for a sustainable model of development of the world economy.
