Economist on the supply chain costs behind the AI boom
What happened
On 5 November 2026, Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih argued in his new book Where Does My Stuff Come From? that the layout of global supply chains is driven by economic logic, and that tariffs only push manufacturers to move production lines to places such as Vietnam and Mexico to avoid them. He noted that the large-scale build-out of AI infrastructure is consuming vast amounts of global computing resources, while policymakers often overlook the economic logic behind these supply chains. The view has drawn attention after being reported by The Verge, and discussion is ongoing.
Written by AI from the reports · updated 3 h ago
Timeline
Follow the reports to see the event from each side.
- The Verge · AIThe hidden supply chain costs of the AI boom
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.
Heat of this event
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