Silicon Tensions, AI Consequences - #2
Series: "Geopolitics of AI"
Artificial intelligence isn’t just transforming technology, it’s redefining global power structures. From cutting-edge regulations to bold national security strategies, governments are locked in a high-stakes race to set the rules of the game.
In this biweekly series, The Geopolitics of AI offers concise yet in-depth explorations into the power struggles, policy battles, and strategic manoeuvres that are shaping AI governance and international relations. Who is leading the charge? Who is falling behind? And what does it all mean for the future of global AI?
We break it down so you don’t have to - offering clear insights into the ever-evolving intersection of technology and geopolitics.
Following our first edition’s examination of competing AI governance philosophies, this week we focus on the semiconductor industry’s pivotal role in shaping AI’s geopolitical landscape. Recent developments in chip manufacturing and AI model breakthroughs reveal how control of computing infrastructure is becoming the central battleground in the global race for AI supremacy.
Trump's $100 Billion TSMC Deal Redraws AI Manufacturing Map
In a dramatic development that highlights the intersection of trade policy and AI infrastructure, President Trump and TSMC CEO C.C. Wei announced on Monday that the Taiwanese chip giant will invest $100 billion in the United States. This massive commitment - characterised as “the largest single foreign direct investment in US history” - will fund three new fabrication plants in Arizona, in addition to two advanced packaging facilities and a research center.