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

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2026-07-22
- Length: 58m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains
- Listen: https://podcast.show/aspencore/episode/154446020/

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=2) Introduction: Dr. Jeff Shainline and Great Sky
- [2:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=142) Background: From Integrated Photonics to Superconducting Electronics
- [4:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=240) Hardware Platform: Josephson Junctions, SQUIDs, and Neuromorphic Primitives
- [13:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=826) Photonics Integration: Single-Photon Detectors and Optical Interconnects
- [18:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=1128) Manufacturing Advantages: 45nm Nodes, Foundry Partners, and Cryogenic Costs
- [27:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=1659) System Performance: Llama 405B Benchmark and Energy Efficiency
- [37:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=2252) Roadmap: IMEC Partnership, Wafer-Scale Modules, and Multi-Chip Integration
- [43:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=2619) Physical Limits: The Neuronal Pool and Light-Speed Cognition
- [48:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-07-22-can-great-skys-light-connected-ai-enable-bigger-brains#t=2910) Commentary: Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings on Neuromorphic Validity

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Great Sky (company)
- NVIDIA (company)
- GB 200 (product)
- Seek (company)
- IMEC (company)
- NIST (company)
- Llama 405B (product)
- Josephson Junction (chip)
- SQUID (chip)
- SPD (chip)
- VCSEL (chip)

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- [Can Silicon Photonics Solve the Bandwidth Bottleneck in AI Data Centers?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2024-05-21-can-silicon-photonics-solve-the-bandwidth-bottleneck-in-ai-data-centers) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Ep. 34 | The Latest from the Lab: How IBM Research Is Inventing What's Next](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-10-12-ep-34-the-latest-from-the-lab-how-ibm-research-is-inventing-whats-next) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Episode 8: AI Infrastructure and Silicon Demands](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-02-27-episode-8-ai-infrastructure-and-silicon-demands) (The Circuit)
- [Quantum Computing: Sci-Fi Technology Requires Real-World Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2024-02-13-quantum-computing-sci-fi-technology-requires-real-world-engineering) (Moore's Lobby)

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