Decoder interview on supply-chain costs of the AI boom
Original title: The hidden supply chain costs of the AI boom
Harvard’s Willy Shih argues tariffs have not undone China’s role, as firms reroute assembly instead.
The Verge’s Decoder interviews Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih about his book Where Does My Stuff Come From? The talk covers Foxconn’s unbuilt Wisconsin LCD plant, the pandemic chip shortage, shifting US tariffs and AI infrastructure demand. Shih says manufacturers respond to China tariffs by moving assembly to places such as Vietnam or Mexico. The episode is commentary and reports no new product, breach or vulnerability.
- Shih is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.
- He says a Wisconsin LCD fab lacked the concrete and steel a panel plant needs.
- The host recalls Liberation Day tariffs dated April 2.
- Shih cites Alaska fish processed in Qingdao as a cost-driven supply chain.
- Organizations
- Harvard Business School
- Countries
- ChinaUnited States
From the original article
16 min read at theverge.com
Today, I’m talking with Willy Shih, an economist, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, and the author of the upcoming book, Where Does My Stuff Come From? The Powerful Economics Behind Global Supply Chains. Willy is one of my all-time favorite Decoder guests — his way of looking at the world through our supply chains is just a fascinating way of making sense of the global economy.
By Nilay Patel · theverge.com
A short excerpt; the article and its images belong to the publisher. Summary, key facts and assessment above are AI-written from the article and can be wrong.