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The danger of AI is not that it will become conscious and hate us, but that it will become competent and ignore us."

—Eliezer Yudkowsky

Why is Indium Phosphide Crucial for AI Chips and Why China Wants Supreme Control?

Indium phosphide has become a flashpoint in the US–China technology contest: China controls most of the world's indium supply, while the wafers themselves are made largely by firms in Japan and the United States. (Image: AI FrontPage / representational)

Indium phosphide, a compound semiconductor made from indium and phosphorus, has become a critical enabler of the optical chips that move data inside AI data centres.

China’s Indium Phosphide Curbs Threaten U.S. AI Data Centre Expansion

According to a Reuters report, the curbs put by Beijing on export and licensing of indium phosphide emerged as a significant threat to the US AI industry, with fears of delay in building next-gen AI data centers.

As companies move towards Photonics-based systems that utilize light (rather than traditional electrical signals) to transmit high volumes of data in AI infrastructures, indium phosphide has gained a lot of relevance.