Chinese startup introduces next-gen optical links to connect thousands of high performing chips

As AI models continue to grow in size and complexity, chipmakers are shifting their focus from individual processor performance to the ability to efficiently connect thousands of accelerators into a single computing system. These highly interconnected server architectures have become a key competitive area for AI infrastructure companies, which are racing to deliver the computing scale needed for models with trillions of parameters and the growing adoption of AI agents. According to Ding Yunfan, vice president of AI framework architecture at Biren, improvements in the performance of a single graphics processing unit (GPU) are no longer enough to meet these demands. Instead, the industry’s biggest challenge is turning vast GPU clusters into unified, seamless computing platforms capable of operating as a single system. Architecture designed to break GPU cluster limits Biren believes the future of large-scale AI computing depends on replacing conventional electrical interconnects with optical technology. According to Ding, traditional copper-based connections are approaching their physical limits, effectively capping today’s server architectures at around 128 GPUs, the South China Morning Post reports. To overcome that bottleneck, the company has developed a distributed, decoupled supernode architecture built around near-packaged optics (NPO), which positions optical fibres closer to the chips to increase bandwidth and improve data transmission. Biren said the approach could enable clusters with up to 1,024 AI accelerator cards, significantly expanding the scale of computing systems needed to support increasingly demanding AI workloads. Ding said optical interconnects are becoming essential for overcoming the scalability limits of conventional server architectures. Shanghai-based Biren is among a growing number of Chinese companies tackling these infrastructure challenges. Rivals including MetaX, Enflame and Alibaba are also developing supernode architectures to compete with Nvidia’s NVL72 and next-generation NVL144 AI platforms. Biren’s Shanghai-based rival MetaX has introduced its Xijing S600 AI supernode, featuring a single rack that connects 64 GPUs. The company said its design reduces signal loss by removing external cabling between compute nodes, switch nodes and interconnect systems, improving efficiency for large-scale AI workloads. Looking beyond electrical links to build larger AI supernodes Biren is also working on new approaches to expand the scale of its AI computing systems. The company’s orthogonal hardware architecture, co-developed with telecommunications giant ZTE, uses traditional electrical connections, while Biren is simultaneously testing a prototype near-packaged optics (NPO) interconnect system. The chipmaker said the optical approach could eventually support supernodes with more than 512 accelerator cards, helping address the growing demand for larger and more efficient AI infrastructure. Despite growing interest in optical networking for AI infrastructure, Ding said the semiconductor industry is still in the early stages of developing and testing optical interconnect technologies. He noted that widespread adoption will require further advances before these systems can be deployed at scale. Furthermore, Ding emphasized that the technology still requires real-world validation before it can be widely adopted. He projected that NPO optical systems could reach mass commercial deployment around 2028, as the industry continues refining the technology and addressing remaining engineering challenges. Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Bojan Stojkovski is a freelance journalist based in Skopje, North Macedonia, covering foreign policy and technology for more than a decade. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, ZDNet, and Nature.