Technology: Recent estimates from Bain & Company suggest that the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-focused semiconductors could lead to a global shortage of chips. This situation reflects the significant shortage of semiconductors during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to supply chain disruptions and increased demand for consumer electronics as people adapted to remote work.
Major technology companies purchase graphics processing units (GPUs) exclusively from Nvidia for use in their data centers. These GPUs are needed to train large artificial intelligence models used in applications such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In parallel with this trend, companies such as Qualcomm are developing chips that bring built-in artificial intelligence capabilities to smartphones and PCs and no longer rely on cloud services.
Bain & Company emphasizes that the growing need for GPUs with the influx of AI-enabled devices could put pressure on the semiconductor supply chain. Bain experts stressed that a demand increase of around 20% could disrupt current supply dynamics and create widespread shortages.
The complexity comes not only from rising demand, but also from the complex and globally distributed nature of semiconductor manufacturing. Geopolitical factors play a key role as tensions affect trade routes and production capacity. Current developments in the sector suggest that both consumers and producers may face significant challenges in this changing landscape.
