SILICON VALLEY’S BIGGEST LIMITATION: ENGINEERING TALENT SHORTAGE
The U.S. semiconductor industry alone needs over 160,000 engineers by 2032, driven by $250B+ in new investments.
Demand for AI experts has skyrocketed, with Elon calling the talent war the “craziest” ever. Meanwhile, STEM programs struggle to produce enough graduates.
This shortage threatens innovation, from AI to semiconductors, slowing progress and global competitiveness.
Expanding STEM education, streamlining high-skilled immigration, and reskilling workers are urgent solutions. Investing in talent is investing in the future.
Elon Musk replied:
No, we need more like double that number yesterday!
The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low.
Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win.
Your understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards. OF COURSE my companies and I would prefer to hire Americans and we DO, as that is MUCH easier than going through the incredibly painful and slow work visa process. HOWEVER, there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America. This is not about handing out opportunities from some magical hat. You don’t get it. This is blindingly obvious when looking at NBA teams, as the physical differences are so obvious to see. However, the MENTAL differences between humans are FAR bigger than the physical differences!!
