Laser temporarily reprograms ultrathin optical device without electrodes

What happened

Most devices are built to perform a particular job. If you want them to do something different, you generally need to replace a component, rewire the system or manufacture a new one.

For example, every time you ask a large language model (the kind of AI system trained on text to produce text) like ChatGPT or Claude a question, many electrical signals race through computer chips, carrying information and performing calculations. This takes energy, and lots of it.