The AI Race to Regression

Peter Zeihan 6 min

We are in a moment right now where AI is possible with ChatGPT 5.0 and all the rest, that will not last. We're going to see the beginning of that within this next decade.

Key points

  • 0:00

    Most public discussions about AI capabilities are not quite on the mark.

  • 0:00

    The new ChatGPT 5.0 is a significant downgrade for personal users compared to version 4.

  • 0:00

    The jump from ChatGPT-4 to GPT-5 was designed for institutional users who code or design drugs.

  • 0:00

    OpenAI is combining characteristics from ChatGPT-4 into ChatGPT-5 to make everybody happy.

  • 1:30

    The limiting factor for artificial intelligence right now is hardware, not software.

  • 1:30

    ChatGPT-4 took up about 10 terabytes of memory, while ChatGPT-5 requires at least twice or three times that.

  • 1:30

    Making high-end processing chips requires 100,000 steps, 30,000 pieces, and 9,000 companies scattered around the world.

  • 1:30

    The single biggest concentration of chip-making is in the United States.

  • 1:30

    The number two concentration for chip-making is in the Taiwan-centric zone.

  • 3:25

    If there is any degree of de-globalization, we cannot make the chips at all.

  • 3:25

    Existing chips in data centers have a lifespan typically in the three to six-year range.

  • 3:25

    The ability to use AI will shrink from something everyone has on their phone to simply the handful of entities capable of running their own data centers.

  • 3:25

    Government efforts to reshore manufacturing only focus on fabrication facilities and ignore the entire ecosystem.

  • 3:25

    We are in a moment where AI is possible now, but that will not last.

  • 3:25

    We are going to see a technological regression as we lose the ability to make the hardware.

Map of the places in “My Two Cents on the AI Debate” 3:58

My Two Cents on the AI Debate

Peter Zeihan

The current debate over AI safety is actually a positive sign of open conversation. The current debate does not need to bear fruit until the 2040s when supply chains are rebuilt.

+1
Map of the places in “The AI Race: U.S. vs. China” 3:31

The AI Race: U.S. vs. China

Peter Zeihan

China cannot compete in AI because export restrictions prevent them from building the necessary high-end hardware. The structural issues regarding data and ethics are irrelevant because the race comes down to hardware access.

4:08

The Revolution in Military Affairs: Artificial Intelligence

Peter Zeihan

AI in war will not happen as expected because the semiconductor supply chain cannot survive de-globalization. The problem will become obvious in the 2050s.

5:16

Korean Exports Skyrocket Thanks to AI

Peter Zeihan

The current AI boom relies on a fragile global supply chain involving over 50 countries. We must build everything possible now because the current system will soon fail.

4:24

The Automation of War Drags On

Peter Zeihan

Processing data is not the same as thinking. Autonomous weapon systems are simply not anywhere close.

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