AI-driven demand is pushing advanced chip packaging to its limits, exposing constraints in TSMC’s CoWoS capacity and forcing hyperscalers to seek alternatives, leaving Intel as the only credible challenger with its EMIB platform.
US lawmakers are moving to tighten semiconductor restrictions, with a bipartisan proposal targeting both equipment exports and downstream controls on advanced chips.
Generative AI is concentrating control of computing power within a narrow set of architectures and ecosystems. Wei Shaojun, chairman of the IC design branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association and a professor at Tsinghua University, said AI competition now extends beyond hardware to control of rules and ecosystems, warning that continued reliance on existing systems could lock China into long-term dependence on critical technologies.
Samsung and SK Hynix delivered record performance in 2025, driven by strong investment in AI infrastructure. Yet the gains have not flowed upstream. Materials and component suppliers are facing a second consecutive year of price cuts, with contract terms for 2026 again revised lower.
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