Tech Wars: China and the U.S.

 

Two Thursdays • 10 a.m.-11:45 a.m. • Room 21 & Zoom

February 23, March 9

With the beginning of the 21st century, America was the undisputed leader in semiconductor chip technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Today, both China and the U.S. are engaged in a consequential struggle for global dominance of these two transformational technologies. In this course, we will describe the early history of semiconductor development beginning in California’s Silicon Valley and its evolution into the most complex supply chain in the world today. Advanced semiconductors have enabled the rapid growth of new AI technologies that are, and will, continue to have dramatic impacts on society and the economy. A recent development being AI “Foundation Models” in which ChatGPT has received extensive coverage. In this course, we will focus on the geopolitical impacts of these breakthrough technologies as China and the U.S. compete for economic dominance and military superiority.

Instructor: Jim R. Monroe     Tech Coordinator: Jay Messner