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> GPU rendering: This version of pbrt adds support for rendering on GPUs, which can provide 10–100 times higher ray tracing performance than CPUs. We have implemented this capability in a way so that almost all of the code presented in the book runs on both CPUs and GPUs, which has made it possible to localize discussion of GPU-related issues to Chapter 15.

Wow. Now getting more intrigued.

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Now with SYCL and CUDA supporting most C++ proper, using it instead of shading languages is starting to be a thing.

Although I do think shading languages are still more appropriate, or other kind of more high level modelling.

In any case as long there is a toolchain to generate SPIR-V or PTX, there is a way for the favorite language into the GPU.

This goes in waves, McCool and that group were seeking ways to get "normal" c++ into the mix in 2001 or so, very early on for shaders.

Yeah, TI also had a C compiler for the TMS34010.

With the way rendering is going (see alan wake 2 / nvidia's ray reconstruction), it will not take long, maybe a decade, before all rendering is done entirely by AI.

Unfortunately that might affect all of us, not only graphics rendering.

We will then be reduced at software architects advising AI minions.

> all rendering is done entirely by AI

What does this even mean? Each frame will be associated with some declaration of the contents of the scene and AI will just estimate the render without involving a physically-based rendering pipeline?

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