Digital oil: chips, artificial intelligence and US national security.

The article focuses on the strategic challenges and opportunities posed by the rising global demand for semiconductor chips and artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the need for comprehensive U.S. policies to ensure access, development, and ethical use of these technologies. It argues that an analogy with oil—rather than nuclear technology—better captures the complexities of AI and chip production, highlighting parallels in private-sector dominance, geopolitical competition, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory needs. The paper reviews U.S. initiatives such as the CHIPS Act and the National Defense Industrial Strategy as initial steps toward securing semiconductor supply chains and recommends creating international regulatory bodies, developing domestic market stability policies, establishing ethical AI norms, and addressing environmental impacts of chip manufacturing. These measures aim to support economic growth, national security, and geopolitical stability amid increasing global competition and technological integration.