Hardware Podcasts

Can Great Sky’s Light-Connected AI Enable Bigger Brains?

EE Times Current · 22 Jul 2026 · 58m

What this episode covers

Dr. Jeff Shainline, founder of Great Sky, explains how his company combines superconducting electronics with photonic interconnects to build neuromorphic AI hardware that operates at 4 Kelvin. He details the use of Josephson junctions, SQUIDs, and single-photon detectors to achieve extreme speed and energy efficiency, arguing that this architecture offers a 300x cost advantage for large language models compared to NVIDIA's GB 200 systems. The discussion covers manufacturing partnerships with companies like Seek and IMEC, the roadmap to wafer-scale integration, and the physical limits of cognition defined by light-speed communication.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Great Sky, NVIDIA, Seek, IMEC, NIST
Products
GB 200, Llama 405B
Chips
Josephson Junction, SQUID, SPD, VCSEL

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