February 10, 2023

Biden Brings Semiconductors to the Forefront of Americans’ Minds

President Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU) address brought semiconductors to the forefront of the nation’s attention. Heightened U.S.-China relations, widespread chip shortages, and the weaponization of supply chains for geopolitical purposes have moved semiconductors to the top of U.S. policymakers’ agenda for the first time in decades. On Feb. 7, President Biden attempted to convince the American people that they too should care about the semiconductor industry. Adding to a series of recent semiconductor initiatives, Biden’s SOTU address made chip issues personal for everyday Americans in a clear effort to solicit public support for the administration’s technology agenda.

Public support will be a crucial component of any successful American technology strategy.

Biden’s first reference to semiconductors was made just 10 minutes into the address, explaining them in nontechnical terms as “small computer chips the size of a fingerprint.” Rather than highlighting semiconductors’ importance to advanced electronic warfare systems, autonomous drones, the Javelin missiles that have undermined Russian tanks in the Russia-Ukraine war, or other aspects of national defense, Biden stressed that chips power the consumer products on which Americans depend, “from cellphones to automobiles and so much more.” Chips, in other words, fuel economic prosperity and everyday American life.

Read the full article from Lawfare.

  • Commentary
    • April 29, 2025
    Five Objectives to Guide U.S. AI Diffusion

    The Framework for AI Diffusion (the Framework) is an ambitious proposal to shape the global distribution of critical AI capabilities, maintain U.S. AI leadership, and prevent ...

    By Janet Egan & Spencer Michaels

  • Commentary
    • Just Security
    • April 25, 2025
    Shaping the World’s AI Future: How the U.S. and China Compete to Promote Their Digital Visions

    As the United States navigates evolving global AI competition, balancing these elements will be crucial in determining whose AI systems — and by extension, whose approaches, v...

    By Keegan McBride

  • Reports
    • April 24, 2025
    Countering the Digital Silk Road: Brazil

    Project Overview This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Digital Silk Road (DSR), China’s ambitious initiative to shape critical digital infrastructure around the world to...

    By Ruby Scanlon & Bill Drexel

  • Reports
    • April 22, 2025
    Promethean Rivalry

    Executive Summary Just as nuclear weapons revolutionized 20th-century geopolitics, artificial intelligence (AI) is primed to transform 21st-century power dynamics—with world l...

    By Bill Drexel

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia