Chapter 1
The four billion dollar handshakes
Chapter 2
The hardware heavyweights
Chapter 3
The brain of the operation: Muse
Chapter 4
The circle of silicon
Ch 4 · The circle of silicon
steve Next-Gen AI Infrastructure Buildout
Gigawatt systems are starting to grow, Powering the smartest agents we'll know.
steve During a massive chip shortage, Nvidia and AMD invest in Meta to guarantee sales while Meta secures priority access to powerful processors.
steve Tech giants design custom AI processors to bypass expensive hardware suppliers like Nvidia.
Quiz
What custom AI chip does Google develop to reduce its reliance on external chipmakers?
Fun Fact
Unbelievable budget: Meta's 2026 capital budget of up to $145 billion is larger than the annual GDP of countries like Morocco, Slovakia, or Ecuador.
Glossary
silicon (noun)
A nonmetallic chemical element widely used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and computer microchips. In October 2026, Nvidia and AMD invested four billion dollars to help Meta purchase their silicon chips.
A nonmetallic chemical element widely used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and computer microchips. In October 2026, Nvidia and AMD invested four billion dollars to help Meta purchase their silicon chips.
Quiz
What is a major consequence of the multi-billion-dollar AI hardware race for smaller startups?