I had the good fortune of spending much of the last few months in Europe, and it was a powerful reminder of the value of travel—of connecting in person and hearing directly from colleagues in other parts of the world. I listened to their excitement for science, as well as their concerns about the challenges we face. These conversations reaffirmed just how essential collaboration is for our community’s future.

Optica Chief Technology Officer for Corporate Engagement Jose Pozo recently wrote: “The word that defines our global operating environment right now is ‘uncertain.’ And yet, even in this turbulence, the optics and photonics community remains critical to the future. That’s where our need to work with and trust one another comes in. Not the easy kind that comes from shared success, but rather the deliberate kind of trust, forged through genuine collaboration in difficult and complex times.”

Those are wise words. As a community, we need to cultivate that kind of trust and emphasize the impact that optics and photonics can have in addressing global challenges. One example of this is featured in this issue: an article on how artificial intelligence (AI) could help transform science education in developing countries. In regions where infrastructure is limited, educational resources are scarce and internet access is unreliable, students are often cut off from modern physics and photonics. The article looks at how small language models could help to close that gap.

The impact of AI and machine learning (ML) on optics and photonics is already substantial and growing. AI and ML are now enabling rapid and nonintuitive solutions through inverse design, leading to breakthroughs in areas like photonic crystals and metamaterials. AI models are also revolutionizing intelligent control of complex optical systems, including adaptive optics to improve imaging in challenging environments. Deep learning has transformed computational imaging techniques, with applications in medical diagnostics, security screening, environmental monitoring and industrial inspection.

And in a wonderful example of symmetry, optics and photonics are also accelerating the advancement of AI. Lasers are key to manufacturing the advanced chips that power today’s processors. The race to build high-­performance optical interconnects for data centers is fierce, with co-packaged optics being one of the most debated topics at the Executive Forum held during the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition this past spring. Meanwhile, neuromorphic optical circuits—inspired by the architecture of the human brain—are showing advantages over conventional electronic neural networks for certain applications and offering new ways to process data with light-based logic.

To support our members in navigating this rapidly evolving landscape together, we have developed a new discovery tool, Optica AI. Trained specifically on content from Optica’s journals and conferences from 2020 to today, it allows our community to synthesize technical information, share knowledge and explore publication opportunities, and all in the user’s preferred language. Tools like this reflect our commitment to fostering collaboration and building trust across borders and disciplines. I encourage you to explore it at opg.optica.org/optica-ai.

In closing, let me wish you all a collaborative future—strengthened by mutual trust and enriched by intelligence, of all kinds.

—Jim Kafka,
Optica President