Surrendering the chips

Thanks to a $100 billion investment plan, the United States will likely soon be home to a significant portion of the world’s semiconductor chip manufacturing. Announced March 3 at the White House, the four-year planned investment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) gives America leverage over the chip industry but prompts questions about Taiwan’s future as the island outsources its main export.

Taiwan produces more than 60% of the world’s semiconductors, devices that power everything from dishwashers to smartphones. Under the Biden administration, TSMC agreed to invest $65 billion into building three chip factories in Phoenix, Ariz., and received $6.6 billion in federal grants for the project through the CHIPS and Science Act. Now, with the newly pledged funds, TSMC will add three new plants, two packaging facilities, and an R&D center in Arizona.

But the deal came about under pressure: In January, President Donald Trump threatened to impose up to 100% tariffs on Taiwan-made semiconductors. Trump has long argued the CHIPS Act didn’t do enough to bring manufacturing from overseas. By moving some operations to Arizona, TSMC will avoid high tariffs.

The United States has depended on Taiwan’s chip manufacturing since the 1990s, but that reliance stoked worry when foreign chip plants shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan, the new deal would ensure the United States still has access to semiconductors.

Yet chipmaking has given Taiwan some assurance of protection, since both the U.S. and China rely on Taiwan’s semiconductors, a situation some have described as a “silicon shield.” It’s not yet clear whether the multibillion-dollar investment will further solidify U.S.-Taiwan relations.

The deal could at least ease Taiwan’s labor shortage. Some 26,000 jobs at Taiwanese semiconductor plants were unfilled as of last year.

Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A.I. assistant in the doctor’s office

New AI assistants could help physicians eliminate a dreaded task: paperwork.

On March 3, Microsoft unveiled Dragon Copilot, the software company’s new voice-activated AI assistant for healthcare professionals. The tech allows doctors to take notes hands-free and automate tasks like placing orders for prescriptions and drafting referral letters. A Google Cloud study published in October noted that clinicians spend an average of 28 hours weekly on administrative tasks alone.

Other companies, like Abridge and Suki, have also developed AI assistants for doctors. But Microsoft hopes its 2021 purchase of Nuance Communications, the creator of speech recognition tool Dragon Medical One and ambient listening software DAX Copilot, will give it an edge in the market.

Clinicians at the Ottawa Hospital in Ontario have been among the first to test out Dragon Copilot. In a statement, Ottawa’s chief information officer, Glen Kearns, said Dragon represented “a significant step forward” in alleviating the administrative strain that often leads to burnout. —B.M.