The future of computing is glowing brighter than ever as Amazon, Google, and Nvidia race to perfect light-based chips, ditching copper wires for beams of light that zip data across circuits at speeds up to 100 times faster than today’s tech. Nvidia showcased its latest strides at GTC 2025, hinting at photonic enhancements in its Blackwell Ultra chip, while Google’s research labs are churning out prototypes to slash latency in AI workloads.
Amazon’s AWS isn’t far behind, quietly testing light-driven systems to supercharge its cloud empire. These photonic marvels promise to cut energy use and turbocharge everything from machine learning to real-time gaming. Intel’s also in the game, advancing its silicon photonics research, though it’s keeping its cards close to the chest. With the first commercial chips expected by late 2026, this light-speed rivalry could redefine how we compute—and who dominates the tech throne.
