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The President’s Inbox

New Podcast Spotlight: The Interconnect

Feb 14, 2025
Mark Horowitz, Chair of Electrical Engineering at Stanford, and Sebastian Elbaum, technologist at the Council on Foreign Relations, dive into the future of chip manufacturing and the crucial role of semiconductors in AI innovation. They discuss the implications of Moore's Law and the intensifying U.S.-China competition, alongside the pressing need for skilled labor in chip manufacturing. The conversation highlights strategic investments necessary for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in tech, as well as the intersection of energy sustainability with advanced computing.
30:27

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Quick takeaways

  • The evolution of semiconductor technology is crucial for advancing artificial intelligence, necessitating innovative approaches amidst manufacturing challenges.
  • Geopolitical tensions in semiconductor manufacturing highlight the need for effective workforce strategies to balance security concerns with open innovation.

Deep dives

The Future of Moore's Law

Moore's Law, which predicts that the number of transistors on a chip will double approximately every two years, faces significant challenges today. While historical trends allowed for increased processing power without rising costs, recent developments indicate that this phenomenon may be nearing its limits. The cost of producing new transistors has not decreased as rapidly as it once did, and achieving smaller components raises practical physical constraints. As the industry adapts, a shift in focus toward optimizing the entire computing stack, from applications to hardware, will be necessary to maintain efficiency and manage costs.

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