[revel]

Although no lead is insurmountable, the fixed capital investment and mature software ecosystem specific to this sector makes it harder to imagine what a competitor would look like.

Given how large the prize is, the next chapter of chip development is likely to be nvidia vs state sponsored projects. China, in particular, will funnel further resources into acquiring this technology by any means necessary, including (more) industrial sabotage and outright theft. It's going to be interesting to see how this will play out. Up until a few years ago China was viewed as being a formidable competitor for projects of this nature, but as the country has moved to become increasingly authoritarian, so too have its decision making and execution declined in quality.