Khronos has finalized WebCL specification for OpenCL in the browser

The Khronos Group, responsible for, among other things, the OpenGL standards, has approved the 1.0 specification for WebCL. This specification should enable OpenCL applications in the browser.

OpenCL is a platform and programming language for performing complex parallel computations by the cpu and gpu. WebCL is a derivative of that and the api should make it possible to run OpenCL code in the browser. OpenCL 1.1 Embedded Profile, a simplified version of OpenCL 1.1, forms the basis for this. This choice of the Khronos Group is similar to that of WebGL using parts of the OpenGL ES specification.

WebCL could be particularly useful for graphics applications, such as an image manipulation web app or an in-browser video editor. OpenCL has been worked on by the Khronos Group for more than 2 years. Now that the draft phase is over and the 1.0 specification has been officially approved, developers hope the technology will be as widely adopted as WebGL.

A challenge for the time being is security: OpenCL offers a developer a relatively large amount of freedom when writing code, which increases the chance of vulnerabilities. To counter well-known attack methods, some risky operations are not included in OpenCL, such as pointers. Khronos has also developed a tool that can check OpenCL code for possible security risks, while graphics card manufacturers have worked with Khronos to sufficiently secure video drivers.