The history of the semiconductor is an origin story for modern computing but also reveals a recurring pattern in American innovation: government helps underwrite technological breakthroughs, and commercial markets transform them into general-purpose technologies. And yet, paradoxically, the American innovation model can become a victim of its own success. The institutions that help launch transformative technologies often lose influence over them as they become commercially indispensable. The semiconductor story therefore provides a useful lens for understanding the opportunities and tensions now emerging around artificial intelligence.
