A consortium of European and South Korean scientists is developing a new class of artificial intelligence hardware that processes data using light rather than electricity - an approach researchers say could significantly reduce energy consumption and accelerate digital services.

The project, known as HAETAE, is backed by €1.49 million in EU funding and aims to address the surging energy demand associated with AI workloads. Data-centre power use is rising sharply as AI, streaming, gaming, healthcare and financial platforms expand, prompting concerns that AI computing could soon become a major driver of global electricity consumption.

Long-term modelling by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and EUROPA has projected that Europe will require major increases in electricity generation, large-scale renewable deployment and far smarter grid infrastructure by 2050 to meet future digital and industrial needs.

HAETAE researchers aim to mitigate these pressures by creating photonic processors that promise up to tenfold improvements in energy efficiency, along with enhanced security for cloud-based AI services. Using light instead of electrical signals, the chips are designed to deliver faster, more responsive and more sustainable digital services.

“By using light rather than electricity to perform calculations, we can make AI dramatically faster and far more energy-efficient, while opening the door to entirely new computing capabilities,” said Miltiadis Moralis, coordinator of the HAETAE consortium. “To put it simply, if we think of today’s AI hardware as a steam engine, this new photonics technology has jet propulsion.”

Photonics allows data to be transmitted using particles of light, reducing heat generation and enabling far higher processing speeds. For users, the technology could support more responsive AI assistants, real-time translation tools, and more energy-efficient data centres, Moralis added.

HAETAE is positioned as a flagship partnership linking European photonics laboratories with advanced semiconductor specialists in South Korea. Moralis said the initiative reflects a wider trend towards international collaboration in next-generation computing, as countries seek to strengthen supply-chain resilience and reduce strategic dependencies.

“Future computing will be built through international collaboration. This partnership allows Europe and South Korea to combine complementary strengths and push the boundaries of what AI hardware can achieve,” he said.

A significant portion of the research is being carried out in Thessaloniki, reinforcing Greece’s growing role as a European hub for photonics, optical computing and semiconductor research. Over the past decade, institutions such as Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, NTUA, ICCS and FORTH have established advanced capabilities in photonic integration and optical systems, leading to new industrial partnerships and spin-out companies.

“Greece has become one of Europe’s most dynamic centres for photonics and optical computing research,” Moralis said. “HAETAE reflects how European innovation can thrive through strong academic foundations combined with deep international collaboration.”

Coordinated by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the HAETAE consortium includes:

IMEC (Belgium)

AkhETonics (Germany)

KAIST (South Korea)

DGIST (South Korea)

The project runs until 2027 and aims to deliver the scientific and industrial foundations needed for the next generation of photonic AI hardware.

By: DocMemory
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