The geopolitics of chips: Nvidia and the AI boom

The geopolitics of chips: Nvidia and the AI boom

Author: Financial Times December 3, 2024 Duration: 23:30


Amid the artificial intelligence boom, demand for AI chips has exploded. But this push for chips also creates new challenges for countries and companies. How will countries cope with the huge amounts of energy these chips consume? Will anyone compete with Nvidia to supply the AI chips of the future? And can China develop its own chips to fuel its own AI development? 


James Kynge visits a data centre to find out how advanced AI chips are causing new problems for the sector. In Phoenix, Arizona, James meets Mark Bauer, co-leader with JLL's Data Center Solutions group, and Frank Eichenhorst, vice president of data centre operations at PhoenixNAP. 


How will the clash of titans play out between NVIDIA and Big Tech? And we hear from Amir Salek, senior managing director at Cerberus Capital and the brains behind Google’s TPU chip; Tamay Besiroglu, associate director of Epoch AI; Dylan Patel, lead analyst at consulting firm SemiAnalysis; and the FT’s global tech correspondent Tim Bradshaw to find out more about the battle for AI chips. 


SMIC did not respond to a request for comment.


Free links to read more on this topic:

Nvidia and the AI boom face a scaling problem

Chip challengers try to break Nvidia’s grip on AI market 

Amazon steps up effort to build AI chips that can rival Nvidia

TSMC says it alerted US to potential violation of China AI chip controls


Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Joseph Enrick Salcedo, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Tim Bradshaw.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


From the Financial Times, FT Tech Tonic steps beyond the breathless headlines and gadget launches to explore how technology is fundamentally reshaping our lives, economies, and social structures. This isn't just a series about the latest app; it's a deep, considered examination of the forces driving the digital age and their often unintended consequences. Each episode grapples with the complex interplay between innovation and its real-world impact, drawing on the FT's global reporting expertise to provide clarity and context. You'll hear conversations that dissect the power dynamics in Silicon Valley, investigate the ethical dilemmas of artificial intelligence, and explore how entrepreneurship is being redefined across different cultures. The podcast digs into the substance behind the hype, asking whether emerging technologies truly deliver on their promise to improve society or if they introduce new perils we are only beginning to understand. By weaving together threads from technology, business, and culture, the discussions offer a nuanced perspective that challenges simplistic narratives. Tune in for thoughtful analysis that connects the dots between boardroom strategies, algorithmic biases, and the everyday experiences that define our increasingly connected world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

FT Tech Tonic
Podcast Episodes
Vote for Tech Tonic in the Signal Awards! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:49
Tech Tonic has been nominated for a Signal Award in the Technology category! It's a Listener Choice award, which means we need your help. Vote for us to win here. We appreciate your support.And while you're at it, vote f…
AI Music: ‘Theft machines’? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:11
AI models have learned to create their own music by harvesting millions of songs from the internet. But critics say they’re using musicians’ work without permission, and three major record labels are suing them for ‘copy…
AI Music: The Infinite Jukebox [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:02
Generative AI models trained on vast swaths of popular music can create songs almost indistinguishable from human-made work. For some, they represent the future of pop music. For others, they threaten to flood the world…
Coming soon: Will AI ruin music? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53
AI music generators - platforms that use artificial intelligence to create new, original music from scratch - can make songs that are almost indistinguishable from human creations. For some musicians, they’re the next fr…
Trump’s tech bros: The enigma of Peter Thiel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:00
Peter Thiel is unlike any other Trump tech bro. As well as a wildly successful investor, he’s seen as a thinker - the philosopher king of Silicon Valley. Thiel’s acolytes in the tech world and Washington include vice-pre…
Trump’s Tech Bros: Is ‘Maga Mark’ the real Mark Zuckerberg? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has undergone a transformation, both physical and political. The skinny teenager who founded Facebook in his dorm room is now a muscular jiu-jitsu enthusiast who’s called US President…
Trump’s Tech Bros: Has Jeff Bezos sold out? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:42
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was once a vocal critic of Donald Trump. But that changed during last year’s election campaign. Now, he has instructed the newspaper he owns, The Washington Post, to shift its editorial line to…
Trump's Tech Bros: The tragedy of Elon Musk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
When Donald Trump re-entered the White House, Elon Musk came with him as his ‘tech bro-in-chief’, tasked with rebooting the government machine. But five months on, Musk’s ambitious plan to cut $2tn from the annual govern…
Trump’s Tech Bros: Can Tim Cook save Apple from the trade war? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:44
During the US president’s first term in office, Tim Cook appeared to be the ultimate Trump whisperer, winning tariff exemptions despite Apple’s heavy reliance on Chinese manufacturing. Now, the iPhone-maker-in-chief has…
Coming soon: The rise and fall of Trump’s tech bros [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01
Can Tim Cook save Apple from the trade war? Has Mark Zuckerberg really been a fan of Donald Trump all along? And is the bromance between Elon Musk and the president really over? In a new season of Tech Tonic, Murad Ahmed…