"Live Players" with Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg

Why Hardware Is the Way to Win the AI Race

19 snips
Jul 18, 2025
The hosts dive into the crucial role of hardware in the AI race, emphasizing how capital accumulation boosts data gathering. They explore the competitive semiconductor landscape, particularly the dynamics between the U.S., China, and Taiwan. NVIDIA's rise is tied to its founder's connections with Taiwanese chip manufacturers, forming a 'Taiwan lobby' in Silicon Valley. The podcast also discusses the implications of automation on jobs and the need for a strategic U.S. industrial policy to enhance domestic semiconductor production.
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INSIGHT

Hardware's Critical AI Role

  • Hardware, especially data collection and computational infrastructure, is crucial to winning the AI race.
  • Proximity to chip manufacturing and close hardware-software optimization enhance competitiveness significantly.
INSIGHT

Late Export Controls Effects

  • Export controls on semiconductors to China came too late and pushed China to build their full semiconductor stack.
  • The US can compete by creating a special industrial zone near SF with cheap energy and relaxed regulations.
ADVICE

Push US Chip Industry Revival

  • The US should implement a Sputnik-like national effort to develop semiconductor talent and manufacturing capability.
  • Prioritize relocating semiconductor industries and aggressively poach global talent to boost domestic capacity.
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