WASM and Python - The Future of Serverless Computing

Explore how WebAssembly (WASM) revolutionizes serverless computing for Python developers in this 30-minute conference talk from EuroPython 2025. Discover the advantages of WASM over traditional container-based serverless platforms, including faster cold start times, reduced resource usage, enhanced security through stronger isolation, and superior cross-platform portability. Learn about the unique challenges Python faces in WASM environments, particularly its reliance on system calls and C-based extensions that complicate execution in WASM runtimes. Understand practical solutions for bridging this gap using tools like Pyodide, wasmtime, and wasmer to enable Python execution in isolated and scalable WASM environments. Examine real-world use cases ranging from serverless function execution to sandboxed environments and ML inference applications. Follow a comprehensive comparison between WASM and container-based approaches, highlighting where WASM excels and where limitations still exist for Python developers. Witness a practical demonstration of deploying a FastAPI function in a WASM runtime with performance benchmarking against traditional serverless containers, providing concrete insights into the future of lightweight, secure, and efficient serverless Python applications.