From Cars to AI: How Technology’s Demand for materials Reshapes Geopolitics
The relentless march of technological innovation isn’t just about faster processors and smarter algorithms; it’s fundamentally reshaping the global landscape through its insatiable demand for specialized materials and critical minerals. generative artificial intelligence is the latest example, rapidly gaining acceptance while simultaneously exposing vulnerabilities in supply chains and raising concerns about geopolitical power dynamics.
As a materials scientist, the connection between technological advancement and material dependency is a central focus. “AI is one example of a technology driving global change-notably through its demand for materials and rare minerals,” one expert noted.But this pattern isn’t new. The rise of the automobile and the smartphone both followed a similar trajectory, demonstrating how mass adoption of new inventions creates demand for specialized materials, alters human behavior, and ultimately impacts global power structures.
The Automobile and the Rise of Suburbia
At the dawn of the 20th century, car ownership was a rarity. In 1900, only 5 out of every 1,000 people owned a car, with annual production numbering in the thousands. Life revolved around walkable neighborhoods, where residents could easily access essential services like groceries, schools, and medical care within a two-mile radius.
That changed dramatically with Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line in 1913. Mass production slashed the price of the Model T from $850 in 1908 to just $360 in 1916, making car ownership accessible to the middle class. While the Great Depression temporarily slowed adoption, sales surged again after World War II.
The newfound mobility afforded by the automobile spurred a mass migration away from urban centers. A powerful lobby comprised of oil, automobile, and construction interests actively promoted federal highway policies in the 1940s and 1950s, further cementing automobile dependence. This led to sprawling suburbs, with houses spaced further apart and commutes lengthening. By the 1960s, two-thirds of American workers commuted by car, with the average commute stretching to 10 miles.
Public policy actively favored suburban growth, often at the expense of investment in city centers. This contributed to urban decay a
