The world is racing to construct powerful computer chips essential for the next wave of AI tools, a move that will have far-reaching effects on geopolitics and global security. The U.S. maintains a strong lead in chip design, though majority of their fabrication takes place in Taiwan.
Urgent Need for Global Investment
According to Sam Altman of OpenAI, a whopping -7 trillion global investment is needed for manufacturing these high-power chips. This projection far surpasses the total sum spent by the chip industry since its origin.
AI Market Projections and Funding Boosts
With the AI market expected to reach a hefty valuation of billion by 2030, countries across the globe are dialing up their budget allocations for the chip industry. Key players include the U.S., China, Japan, and various European nations.
China's strategy includes subsidizing chips for AI and aspiring to build a robust manufacturing supply chain. Meanwhile, Germany is also choosing a subsidy approach, and the UK is set to invest £100 million in AI.
Current Chip Shortage
On the flipside, there's a current scarcity of chips tailored for AI systems. A staggering 90% of these chips are produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), highlighting the island's pivotal role.
Taiwan’s Geopolitical Status: A Threat to the Chip Industry?
Taiwan's geopolitical position could potentially jeopardize the chip industry. As the island is a hotbed of tensions between the U.S. and China, any disruption in supply chains could bring industries to a standstill. Adding to the complexity, China controls a substantial portion of the raw materials production for chip fabrication.
Chip Manufacturing: A Global Shift?
Presently, only ASML, a Dutch company, manufactures EUV systems for chip production. To reduce the dependence on select supply chains, chip factories are being set up outside Asia. TSMC is planning to establish a facility in Arizona, though such geographical shifts in production could take years to cause significant impacts.
AI: A Double-Edged Sword
While AI has the potential to be the ultimate amplifier of disinformation via deepfakes, tech companies are vowing to collaborate on tools to combat this issue. With deepfakes possessing the power to manipulate public perception, regulatory frameworks for AI and online safety are being established.
Indeed, the propensity of AI to redefine geopolitics and global security outpaces our ability to predict and plan for these changes.