“US Puts a Hurdle in China’s High Jump to AI Chip Autonomy”

“The US Just Made It Way Harder for China to Build Its Own AI Chips”

“The year is 2024. The Covid-19 pandemic has long since peaked, the US economy has rebounded, and President Oprah Winfrey is in the White House.” Well, allow a moment of silence for your already fumbling imagination.

This decidedly fascinating journey into the future paints a rich tapestry of change, and central to this post-pandemic era is a ‘chip war.’ Now this ain’t the potato variant, my friends, but instead those almost invisible but mighty vital sets of tech nerves – semiconductors – which have become as essential to global economy as perhaps, air is to humans.

While we may have already seen advanced technology at its best – Apple’s AI, Tesla’s autodrive, Zoom’s virtual conference and don’t forget the mighty drones delivering your grocery, it appears we’re on the brink of a bigger tech revolution. And yes, it’s got everything to do with those precious chips.

What’s of great consequence though is how this unfolding ‘chip war’ may place the United States and China on collision course. As the article suggests, “New rules meant to keep cutting-edge chip design software and manufacturing equipment out of China’s hands are going into effect, potentially altering the course of the global technology competition.” Cue dramatic tune.

So, what can we make of it? Are we heading for a chip dystopia? Well, it seems only time will tell. For now, we may need to prepare for a world where the demand for chips is surging, and the rivalry between nations to control their production is decidedly severe.

The ever-evolving global chip supply chain dynamics warrant exemplary vigilance. In between addressing criticalities of domestic manufacturing scale-up, export regulations that are more ‘black and white’, and a tad more transparency in geopolitical tactics, one can spot light at the end of this tunnel. The question, however, remains: “Will that be the light of dawn or an oncoming train?”

Savour the food for thought while we all wait with bated breath for the next episode in this global chip drama. After all, we didn’t think we’d be in the middle of a global pandemic at the start of last year, did we? We’ve already learnt our lesson – expect the unexpected. Who knows, we may just start seeing chips in a whole new light from now.

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/2024-chips-export-controls-china/