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Itchy-mane t1_jb6512v wrote

Reply to comment by angus_supreme in What might slow this down? by Beautiful-Cancel6235

Tsmc is building next generation chip fabs in SK, Japan and US so that'd really only slow it down by a couple years

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Savings-Juice-9517 t1_jb6y5l3 wrote

Their fab in Arizona is only a tiny plant compared to the ones in Hsinchu Science Park

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s2ksuch t1_jb6zhkb wrote

What about South Korea and in Japan? All three of them together probably get close to the size of the factory in Taiwan

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visarga t1_jb78ro9 wrote

AI needs the highest grade of chips that can only be produced in Taiwan, other countries can produce lower grades.

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QuantumPossibilities t1_jb9apct wrote

The first 5nm chip in production was designed by a US company, Marvel. They are a fabless designer and yes, rely on TMSC and others as they diversify production. TMSC has understood their advantage is in production and has gone out of their way to not compete with the companies they manufacture product for. This manufacturing advantage will lessen as companies like Intel invest money in the high end lithography machines able to produce these specialized AI chips. I wouldn‘t count on chips being the limiting factor in the speed of AI adoption. As per usual, we’d have to anticipate they will continue to become more capable, more available and more affordable.

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CypherLH t1_jbddriq wrote

A real war in Taiwan will likely disrupt sea trade routes to South Kore and Japan as well. If nothing else insurance costs will soar for shipping companies, increasing transportation costs. Worst case if the war is wide enough the broader western Pacific could be a maritime war zone and more deeply cut transportation links.

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