What If TSMC Never Exists

Imagine a world where your smartphone is a brick, your car is a horse-drawn carriage, and artificial intelligence is a distant dream. This is the world we might be living in if TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, never existed. In this episode, we explore the ripple effects of a world without TSMC, examining the profound implications for the global economy, technological innovation, and even geopolitical stability. What would have happened to companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm without TSMC's cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities? Would we be driving electric vehicles powered by silicon carbide or gallium nitride chips instead of relying on silicon? Would the U.S. and China be locked in an even fiercer battle for technological supremacy? Join us as we unpack the hypothetical scenario of TSMC's absence, uncovering the alternative paths the semiconductor industry might have taken and the potential consequences for our world.