Written by Tim Green, narrated by AI. Listen to the full episode here . 🎙️ Season 1, Episode 4 | Duration: 22:35 The AI infrastructure boom of 2026 is not just a story of data centres and cloud computing. Its ripple effects are reaching into the pockets and homes of ordinary consumers, driving up prices for smartphones, PCs, and gaming hardware while quietly reshaping the entire semiconductor supply chain. This episode uses AI voice narration from ElevenLabs Studio. The $650 Billion Silicon Diversion Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have collectively budgeted roughly $650 billion in 2026 capital expenditure, a figure that dwarfs spending by every other industry combined. That money is buying silicon, memory, and power at a scale that leaves consumer electronics manufacturers fighting for leftovers. When Big Tech Buys the Whole Supply The sheer volume of procurement by hyperscale cloud providers means consumer-facing chip orders are being deprioritised.…