IBM Optical Interconnect Can Slash Data Center Energy Needs

IBM has unveiled groundbreaking research in optics technology that could revolutionize how data centers train and run generative AI models, using light instead of electricity. The company’s co-packaged optics (CPO) innovation aims to replace electrical interconnects in data centers, offering significant improvements in speed and energy efficiency for AI and other computing applications.

IBM researchers have developed a new process for CPOs, enabling connectivity within data centers at the speed of light. They have designed and assembled the first publicly announced successful polymer optical waveguide (PWG) to enable this technology.

Key Benefits of IBM’s CPO Technology

Energy Efficiency: More than 5x power reduction in energy consumption, potentially saving the energy usage equivalent to 5,000 US homes.

Extended Connectivity: Ability to extend data center interconnect cables from one to hundreds of yards.

Faster AI Training: Developers could train Large Language Models (LLMs) up to five times faster.

Increased Bandwidth: Potential to boost bandwidth between chips up to 80 times compared to electrical connections.

Technical Advancements

IBM’s CPO prototype module enables high-speed optical connectivity inside data centers. This technology could significantly increase the bandwidth of data center communications, minimizing GPU downtime and accelerating AI processing.

The CPO technology aims to scale the interconnection density between accelerators by enabling chipmakers to add optical pathways connecting chips on an electronic module beyond the limits of current electrical pathways. New high bandwidth density optical structures, when coupled with transmitting multiple wavelengths per optical channel, have the potential to dramatically increase chip-to-chip bandwidth.

Impact on Data Centers and AI

Currently, while data centers use fiber optics for external communications networks, racks within data centers still predominantly run communications on copper-based electrical wires. These wires connect GPU accelerators that may spend significant time idle, waiting for data from other devices, which can incur substantial expense and energy costs.

IBM’s breakthrough could address this issue by bringing optics’ speed and capacity inside data centers. This innovation could enable chipmakers to add six times as many optical fibers at the edge of a silicon photonics chip. Each fiber, about three times the width of a human hair, could span inches to hundreds of yards in length and transmit terabits of data per second.

Future Implications

Dario Gil, SVP and Director of Research at IBM, emphasizes the transformative potential of this technology: “As Gen AI demands more energy and processing power, the data center must evolve – and co-packaged optics can make these data centers future-proof.” He further adds that this breakthrough will usher in a new era of faster, more sustainable communications capable of handling the AI workloads of the future.

This optical breakthrough by IBM represents a significant step forward in data center technology, potentially reshaping the landscape of AI computing and paving the way for more efficient, powerful, and sustainable data centers in the years to come.

More information is available here.

Image: IBM

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

See Full Bio