OpenAI's AI Infrastructure plans, AMD Layoffs, ASML Projections, U.S. playing the "Taiwan Card" could hurt both China and Taiwan.

Crazy times are ahead for the Semiconductor supply chain at the intersection of geopolitics. Amazon Trainium 2 AI chip announcement next month. Qualcomm Earnings.

Highlight of the Cycle 🌟

TSMC’s October, 2024 revenue hit an all-time high NT$314.24 billion (US$9.82 billion) up 29.2% year-on-year, and up 24.8% over September. NT$256.95 billion was the previous record high for a single month, in July 2024.

Hello Everyone,

• Welcome to the 20th edition of Semiconductor Things™, where I seek to break down some of the news in the Semiconductor, AI chips and datacenter space globally to make it more accessible and easy to follow. Usually this Newsletter is twice a month, sometimes a bit more.

• This Newsletter explores TSMC, Taiwan and Nvidia in particular. Earnings are a lot of what I want to cover on an ongoing basis.

• I’m convinced that in 2024 watching the AI chips and Semiconductor space is actually the most interesting it’s been in decades.

Support me doing this for as low as $1 a week. Please see my archives for more on what to expect.

Typically now the Newsletters comes out two or three times a month, usually around Thursday morning (ideally at 7-9 AM EST window). Functionally often a bit late.

The Newsletter is mostly concerned with micro events in the semiconductor News cycle.

🔵 As I cover emerging tech over a wide spectrum, curating the AI chip and Semiconductor News forces me to keep in touch with the industry news cycle and keep learning about the various companies involved.

⚫ Today’s issue covers approximately the period of November 1st to November 14th, 2024.

⚪ I will be tracking some breaking news and writing some Op-eds here. Though this has been slow to get off the ground.

Previous Issues

1. SK Hynix Boom, AMD's Poor Guidance, China's Evasive Maneuvers, Earnings coming into Focus

2. TSMC Earnings, ASML Woes, Nvidia's Blackwell Demand, Meta's Weird Datacenter Overhaul

3. Cerebras is going IPO, Intel's Woes magnified, TSMC news all around~ stormy weather.

4. The Semiconductor Boom Times: coming soon: 2025-2030 'Blackwell Surge Era'.

AMD Layoffs?

AMD said on Wednesday that it will lay off 4% of its global staff. AMD's layoffs follow multiple job cuts at the firm's larger rival, Intel Corporation. Unlike AMD, Intel has struggled to retain profitability and has posted losses in two of its latest quarters.AMD had 26,000 employees at the end of last year, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. AMD is the second-biggest producer of graphics processing units, or GPUs, behind Nvidia. Read More.

OpenAI “blueprint for U.S. AI infrastructure”

OpenAI is calling for the US and its allies to work together to support the infrastructure needed to develop artificial intelligence systems and compete with China. The firm made this proposal in a policy blueprint released at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. For the record who funds the CSIS? Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

OpenAI’s official “blueprint for U.S. AI infrastructure” involves artificial intelligence economic zones, tapping the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power experience and government projects funded by private investors among other things. Sam Altman had spent the early part of the year seeking the US government’s blessing for the project, which aims to form a coalition of global investors to fund the costly physical infrastructure needed to support rapid AI development. Read Further.