AI supply chain shifts from chips to credit allocation

The article describes a natural progression in infrastructure constraints as a technology boom matures. Initial shortages of physical hardware (GPUs, HBM, advanced packaging) defined the first phase of the AI boom, limiting how many companies could build or deploy AI systems. As semiconductor supply stabilizes and production capacity increases, the constraint moves upstream in the supply chain — not to what is available, but to how it is divided. Credit allocation systems (mechanisms for sharing or rationing computing resources) are now becoming a critical operational concern, because even when hardware is available in sufficient quantity, it remains expensive and must be managed carefully across competing uses. This reflects a shift from a scarcity problem (not enough chips exist) to an allocation problem (chips exist, but demand still exceeds supply at economical prices, or demands conflict).