 "US lawmakers call for probe into China threat from photonics technology")
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is calling on the Department of Commerce to investigate national security risks associated with China’s advancements in silicon photonics technology.
This innovative field, which utilises light for data transmission instead of electrical signals, has significant implications for artificial intelligence systems that require the interconnection of numerous computer chips.
Major AI chip manufacturers like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have explored integrating photonics into their designs, while the startup Lightmatter has garnered substantial investment to enhance its photonic technology.
Meanwhile, China’s efforts to develop this technology have intensified, with Guangdong province recently launching funding initiatives aimed at establishing a domestic photonics chip industry. The growing competition in silicon photonics could impact the US.’s technological leadership and national security landscape.
The US House of Representatives’ select committee on China on Monday asked the Commerce Department to examine what threats China’s work on photonics might pose and whether export control rules should be amended to protect US efforts.
”The dual-use nature of photonics technology makes it particularly susceptible to military end-use diversion by problematic actors,” Representatives John Moolenaar, a Republican, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, wrote in their letter.
”China has been perhaps the quickest state actor to mobilize the resources and encourage local and regional governments to work on photonic technology,” Sunny Cheung, an associate fellow for China studies with the Jamestown Foundation who has studied China’s efforts, told Reuters.
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More Shorts”We’ve received the letter and will respond through the appropriate channels,” a Commerce Department spokesperson said.
With inputs from Reuters.
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