Is a Period of 'Supply Shortages' Coming to AI?
To use AI, you need GPUs. To make GPUs, you need specialized semiconductors. To make those, you need ASML equipment from the Netherlands. Did you know that if you order that equipment today, the lead time is over two years? This came up during an export consultation today, and the supply chain situation is much tighter than expected.
The first time I received a request to 'specify GPU supply chain risks' in a quote, I was genuinely taken aback. If you don't understand this, you could lose out on contracts two years from now.
⚠️ To use AI, you need GPUs. To make GPUs, you need specialized semiconductors. To make those, you need ASML equipment, which currently has a lead time of over two years (an industry-accepted estimate). If your company hasn't ordered by now, it means your competitors are already running two years ahead of you.
📦 At Rinda, we frequently encounter this during buyer outreach consultations. Last month, two buyers—one from Germany and one from Japan—actually requested that we include 'AI-based supply chain management capabilities' in their RFQ lead-time clauses. One company was in electronic components, the other in industrial materials.
Honestly, I find that quite daunting.
Has your company ever received an AI supply chain requirement in an RFQ yet? 👉 Yes / Not yet — Let us know in the comments.
We have created an 'AI Supply Chain Response Checklist' at Rinda. If you need it, leave a comment and I'll send it over. Save it for your team.
