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← The binding constraint on AI is not chips but the physical plant…
17 connected korrents · 15 moments on record from 3 Nov 2008 to 1 Sept 2026.
Everything filed under data centers
data centers
Everything filed under energy
energy
Everything filed under semiconductors
semiconductors
Everything filed under AI agents
AI agents
Everything filed under solar
solar In tension In tension Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: The binding constraint on AI is not chips but the physical plant around them — power, transformers, cooling and networking. The binding constraint on AI is not chips but the physical plant around them — power, transformers, cooling and networking. Last stated a week ago
29 Aug 2026
EM
Elon Musk — holds since 2026-08-29 — tap for who they are
In tension: Data centres will end up net suppliers of power to their communities, because a solar plant big enough to keep the machines running spills most of what it makes. — tap to centre the map on it Data centres will end up net suppliers of power to their communities, because a solar plant big enough to keep the machines running spills most of what it makes. Last stated 9 months ago
8 Dec 2025
CH
Casey Handmer — holds since 2025-12-08 — tap for who they are
In tension: The cost of compute is the only intrinsic limit on AI self-replication; every other constraint on agents will have to be built by humans. — tap to centre the map on it The cost of compute is the only intrinsic limit on AI self-replication; every other constraint on agents will have to be built by humans. Last stated a week ago
1 Sept 2026
DB
Dean W. Ball — holds since 2026-09-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The binding constraint on the AI build-out is chips, not power, which is why not having a solar panel factory will never be on the critical path. — tap to centre the map on it The binding constraint on the AI build-out is chips, not power, which is why not having a solar panel factory will never be on the critical path. Last stated a year ago
15 Aug 2025
CH
Casey Handmer — holds since 2025-08-15 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The world can make roughly 200 gigawatts of AI chips a year by 2030, which makes a gigawatt a week a plausible quarter of the market rather than a fantasy. — tap to centre the map on it The world can make roughly 200 gigawatts of AI chips a year by 2030, which makes a gigawatt a week a plausible quarter of the market rather than a fantasy. Last stated 6 months ago
13 Mar 2026
DP
Dylan Patel — holds since 2026-03-13 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The binding constraints on AI's growth are power, helium and memory — and almost nobody has noticed the helium one. — tap to centre the map on it The binding constraints on AI's growth are power, helium and memory — and almost nobody has noticed the helium one. Last stated 3 months ago
18 Jun 2026
LT
Lip-Bu Tan — holds since 2026-06-18 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The binding constraint on AI is no longer power or data centres but the semiconductor supply chain, which has by far the longest lead times. — tap to centre the map on it The binding constraint on AI is no longer power or data centres but the semiconductor supply chain, which has by far the longest lead times. Last stated 6 months ago
13 Mar 2026
DP
Dylan Patel — holds since 2026-03-13 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Human brains are doing something fundamentally different from today's AI, and the evidence is that they run on roughly twenty watts. — tap to centre the map on it Human brains are doing something fundamentally different from today's AI, and the evidence is that they run on roughly twenty watts. Last stated 3 years ago
14 Dec 2023
JB
Jeff Bezos — holds since 2023-12-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: By the end of this decade the ceiling on AI compute is set by ASML, the lowest rung of the supply chain, and not by anything above it. — tap to centre the map on it By the end of this decade the ceiling on AI compute is set by ASML, the lowest rung of the supply chain, and not by anything above it. Last stated 6 months ago
13 Mar 2026
DP
Dylan Patel — holds since 2026-03-13 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The numbers an AI engineer should know by heart are memory bandwidths and the energy cost of a single operation. — tap to centre the map on it The numbers an AI engineer should know by heart are memory bandwidths and the energy cost of a single operation. Last stated a month ago
30 Jul 2026
JD
Jeff Dean — holds since 2026-07-30 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Falling back to older 7-nanometre chips would not rescue AI compute, because the real gap between chip generations is twentyfold, not the threefold the flops suggest. — tap to centre the map on it Falling back to older 7-nanometre chips would not rescue AI compute, because the real gap between chip generations is twentyfold, not the threefold the flops suggest. Last stated 6 months ago
13 Mar 2026
DP
Dylan Patel — holds since 2026-03-13 — tap for who they are
Same subject: "Food from thin air" is not from thin air: it runs on water, minerals, ammonia and industrial plant. — tap to centre the map on it "Food from thin air" is not from thin air: it runs on water, minerals, ammonia and industrial plant. Last stated 2 months ago
30 Jun 2026
CS
Chris Smaje — holds since 2026-06-30 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A country outside the AI supply chain should just buy the index — which works only in the world where AI ends up commoditised rather than concentrated. — tap to centre the map on it A country outside the AI supply chain should just buy the index — which works only in the world where AI ends up commoditised rather than concentrated. Last stated 3 months ago
4 Jun 2026
AI
Alex Imas — holds since 2026-06-04 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A handful of AI agents is not a handful of colleagues, because agents agree with you constantly and colleagues tell you where you are wrong. — tap to centre the map on it A handful of AI agents is not a handful of colleagues, because agents agree with you constantly and colleagues tell you where you are wrong. Last stated 6 months ago
22 Mar 2026
NF
Nicole Forsgren — holds since 2026-03-22 — tap for who they are
Same subject: American manufacturing output cannot meaningfully rise without first building large amounts of new electricity generation. — tap to centre the map on it American manufacturing output cannot meaningfully rise without first building large amounts of new electricity generation. Last stated a year ago
6 Apr 2025
MH
Molson Hart — holds since 2025-04-06 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Nuclear power is dangerous, but not uniquely so among energy sources like coal, oil, and wind. — tap to centre the map on it Nuclear power is dangerous, but not uniquely so among energy sources like coal, oil, and wind. Last stated 18 years ago
3 Nov 2008
DM
David MacKay — holds since 2008-11-03 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Nuclear power is politically unreliable as an answer to climate change, because every major accident freezes reactor construction worldwide for another decade. — tap to centre the map on it Nuclear power is politically unreliable as an answer to climate change, because every major accident freezes reactor construction worldwide for another decade. Last stated 3 years ago
4 Mar 2024
SP
Serhii Plokhy — holds since 2024-03-04 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Batteries will replace transmission as the cheapest way to keep the lights on, and the grid will shrink rather than grow. — tap to centre the map on it Batteries will replace transmission as the cheapest way to keep the lights on, and the grid will shrink rather than grow. Last stated 9 months ago
8 Dec 2025
CH
Casey Handmer — holds since 2023-10-11 — tap for who they are
CH
Casey Handmer — holds since 2025-12-08 — tap for who they are
At the centre
The binding constraint on AI is not chips but the physical plant around them — power, transformers, cooling and networking.
Holds Read this korrent →
Data centres will end up net suppliers of power to their communities, because a solar plant big enough to keep the machines running spills most of what it makes.
Holds CH Casey Handmer
The cost of compute is the only intrinsic limit on AI self-replication; every other constraint on agents will have to be built by humans.
Holds
The binding constraint on the AI build-out is chips, not power, which is why not having a solar panel factory will never be on the critical path.
Holds CH Casey Handmer
The world can make roughly 200 gigawatts of AI chips a year by 2030, which makes a gigawatt a week a plausible quarter of the market rather than a fantasy.
Holds DP Dylan Patel
The binding constraints on AI's growth are power, helium and memory — and almost nobody has noticed the helium one.
Holds LT Lip-Bu Tan
The binding constraint on AI is no longer power or data centres but the semiconductor supply chain, which has by far the longest lead times.
Holds DP Dylan Patel
Human brains are doing something fundamentally different from today's AI, and the evidence is that they run on roughly twenty watts.
Holds JB Jeff Bezos
By the end of this decade the ceiling on AI compute is set by ASML, the lowest rung of the supply chain, and not by anything above it.
Holds DP Dylan Patel
The numbers an AI engineer should know by heart are memory bandwidths and the energy cost of a single operation.
Holds JD Jeff Dean
Falling back to older 7-nanometre chips would not rescue AI compute, because the real gap between chip generations is twentyfold, not the threefold the flops suggest.
Holds DP Dylan Patel
"Food from thin air" is not from thin air: it runs on water, minerals, ammonia and industrial plant.
Holds CS Chris Smaje
A country outside the AI supply chain should just buy the index — which works only in the world where AI ends up commoditised rather than concentrated.
Holds AI Alex Imas
A handful of AI agents is not a handful of colleagues, because agents agree with you constantly and colleagues tell you where you are wrong.
Holds NF Nicole Forsgren
American manufacturing output cannot meaningfully rise without first building large amounts of new electricity generation.
Holds MH Molson Hart
Nuclear power is dangerous, but not uniquely so among energy sources like coal, oil, and wind.
Holds DM David MacKay
Nuclear power is politically unreliable as an answer to climate change, because every major accident freezes reactor construction worldwide for another decade.
Holds SP Serhii Plokhy
Batteries will replace transmission as the cheapest way to keep the lights on, and the grid will shrink rather than grow.
Holds CH Casey Handmer