UCLA's optical generative model draws images with light, matching a 1.07B-param diffusion model in under 1ns
mtizard · x · 2026-09-18
UCLA researchers unveiled an "Optical Generative Model" that replaces GPU compute with the physics of light. A digital encoder imprints a noise pattern onto a laser, and light physically propagates through custom optical layers—the light itself performs the computation, with no silicon bottleneck. The system reportedly matches the output quality of a 1.07 billion-parameter diffusion model, generating faces, complex images, and Van Gogh-style art, with each image produced in under a nanosecond and near-zero energy cost during generation.
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