Zero-Copy GPU Inference from WebAssembly on Apple Silicon
abacusnoir.com
April 18, 2026
7 min read
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Summary
WebAssembly modules on Apple Silicon can share linear memory directly with the GPU, eliminating the need for copies, serialization, or intermediate buffers. This allows the CPU and GPU to read and write the same physical bytes, enabling efficient end-to-end computation without serialization overhead.
Key Takeaways
- Apple Silicon's Unified Memory Architecture allows WebAssembly modules to share linear memory directly with the GPU, eliminating the need for data copying or serialization.
- The zero-copy GPU inference process enables the CPU and GPU to read and write the same physical memory, significantly reducing latency and overhead.
- The implementation involves three key components: using mmap for page-aligned memory, Metal's ability to accept pointers without copying, and Wasmtime's custom memory allocation.
- The approach facilitates stateful AI inference by allowing direct interaction between WebAssembly and GPU memory, enhancing performance and efficiency.
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