NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Says “Silicon Photonics” Packaging is Years Away, Advocates for Continued Use of Copper Technology

As the tech industry shifts its focus toward silicon photonics for advanced AI computing solutions, NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, appears to maintain a cautious stance, opting to endorse copper technology for the foreseeable future.

NVIDIA’s Reliance on Copper Over Silicon Photonics for the Foreseeable Future

For those unfamiliar, silicon photonics is an innovative evolution of conventional copper transmission methods, integrating laser technology with silicon to ensure rapid data transfer speeds. NVIDIA aims to utilize this technology to enhance interconnect latency and develop high-bandwidth connections between CPUs and GPUs. Nevertheless, Huang expresses skepticism about the readiness of silicon photonics packaging, indicating a preference for traditional copper solutions over the next several years.

Jensen Huang on copackaged optics and silicon photonics…Not as excited as many others are pic.twitter.com/TDOgHjFqUp

— SemiAnalysis (@SemiAnalysis_) August 13, 2025

Despite Huang’s cautious approach, he acknowledges NVIDIA’s collaboration with TSMC to further develop silicon photonics, albeit noting that substantial advancements remain several years away. Meanwhile, NVIDIA is simultaneously working on interconnect technologies, including the Quantum-X Photonics, a networking switch platform expected to be launched later this year. Additionally, the upcoming Spectrum-X Photonics Ethernet switches are projected for release by 2026.

This reflects NVIDIA’s strategic alignment with silicon photonics developments, tempered by a reluctance to fully embrace the technology at this juncture, particularly amidst the current high demand for computing capabilities. If NVIDIA can successfully integrate silicon photonics into individual GPU tiles, it could significantly enhance both scalability and overall performance. However, this would necessitate a complete architectural overhaul, prompting Huang’s assertion that the industry should continue relying on copper for the immediate future.

It will be intriguing to observe how NVIDIA and other players in the tech sector incorporate silicon photonics into their architectural frameworks, as this technology promises to deliver tremendous computational power. While we anticipate the emergence of comprehensive solutions by the end of the decade, for the time being, NVIDIA appears committed to leveraging copper interconnects in its operations.

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