# EP 146: The State of AI Networking with Austin Lyons

- Show: [The Circuit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit)
- Published: 2025-12-22
- Length: 49m
- Episode: 148
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8d0a5982

## Summary

Austin Lyons, writing as Chip Strat, joins Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg to discuss the evolution of AI networking, defining the critical distinctions between scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across topologies. The conversation details the technical trade-offs between copper and optical interconnects, explaining how SerDes technology enables higher speeds over shorter distances and why optical is necessary for longer ranges. They highlight the strategic importance of SerDes capabilities for companies like Broadcom and Marvell, and touch on emerging trends like Celestial's photonic fabric and the acquisition of Alpha Wave by Qualcomm.

## Chapters

- [0:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons#t=5) Introduction and State of AI Networking
- [5:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons#t=328) Defining Scale Up, Scale Out, and Scale Across
- [22:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons#t=1351) Copper vs. Optical Interconnects and SerDes
- [38:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons#t=2320) The Critical Role of SerDes in Chip Design

## Topics

- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Chip Strat (other)
- Netflix (company)
- AWS (company)
- Cisco (company)
- Juniper (company)
- Arista (company)
- Nvidia (company)
- Google (company)
- OpenAI (company)
- Credo (company)
- Celestial (company)
- Broadcom (company)
- Marvell (company)
- Cadence (company)
- Synopsys (company)
- Alpha Wave (company)
- Qualcomm (company)
- TSMC (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [High-Speed Interconnects for AI & Physical AI with Samtec](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-04-28-high-speed-interconnects-for-ai-physical-ai-with-samtec) (OnTrack)
- [800Gs Finally Breaking Out and Benefits of Solution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-04-14-800gs-finally-breaking-out-and-benefits-of-solution) (EE Times Current)
- [Close to the Edges: Moore’s Law & Shannon’s Limit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-01-01-close-to-the-edges-moores-law-shannons-limit) (EE Times Current)
- [How 1.6T Ethernet will Enable the World's Fastest Datacenters](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2024-03-20-how-1-6t-ethernet-will-enable-the-worlds-fastest-datacenters) (EE Times Current)
- [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)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-12-22-ep-146-the-state-of-ai-networking-with-austin-lyons. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Circuit.