By Reinina Zhang
Artificial intelligence is a booming industry with staggering revolution magnifying each coming year. According to United Nations Trade and Development, or UNCTAD, the artificial intelligence market is projected to be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033, which would be four times its share of the global frontier technology market two years ago, in 2023.
Possibly most notably, large language models (such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT), or AI models trained to generate text through extremely large data sets, have seemingly made the largest impacts within society. Shubham Singh of Demand Sage found that ChatGPT received over 1 billion queries per day in 2025, with close to 800 million weekly active users as of July 2025.
Yet, while AI’s attack on societal patterns and industry may seem jarring or sudden, the recent exponential growth of AI is truly reflective of years of human innovation; in fact, AI has been simplifying the daily life of individuals for decades already, in ways you may not even know.
As stated by BriA’nna Lawson in a news article from Morgan State University, “From the moment we wake up to the time we lay our heads to rest, AI is quietly working behind the scenes to make our daily experiences smoother, smarter, and more enjoyable.” AI is used in the facial recognition software used to unlock iPhones; it’s used by Instagram and YouTube to recommend video content; it scans emails, searching for spam; and it’s used in virtual assistants from Apple’s Siri to Google’s Gemini.
It’s worth noting that the modern AI revolution has been driven by both an increased accessibility to complex data and an increased accessibility to advanced hardware, such as AI’s unsung hero, the semiconductor.
As defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, “Semiconductors– materials such as silicon with tunable electrical conductivity– are the base for most electronics, enabling construction of complex integrated circuits, or chips, that power advanced technologies.”
Moreover, the International Roadmap for Devices and Services declared that “demand for semiconductor chips will mirror the rapid ascent of the AI market” and “the semiconductor industry will reap…profit by supplying computing, memory, and networking solutions.”
Companies within the semiconductor industry, and the individuals who lead them, maintain uniquely insightful perspectives on AI’s commanding future and the technology industry. Shashi Gupta, former senior vice president of AmTech, a global semiconductor supplier, and business leader within the semiconductors & electronics industry, was invited to share his knowledge on the topic, advice for students seeking to find careers working in electronics, and information about his own career path with The Steamology Magazine:
Can you please briefly explain your path towards your career in technology, and how you ended up becoming the Senior Vice President of AmTech after graduating from IIT and then USC with a PHD in chemistry? What made you transition from working in chemistry to working with semiconductors and electronics?
My career path has been a journey of continuous learning and adaptation, ultimately beginning with me being a chemist in a lab, to having leadership roles in semiconductor and electronics companies. My education in chemistry is still helping me understand technology, customer needs and how to provide innovative solutions.
My initial professional experience was as a Polymer Scientist at a technology startup, where I focused on the synthesis of polymers for various applications, including telecommunication, space, and military. This experience in material science led me into the electronics industry, as materials are also a critical component in advanced electronic circuits. At some point, I transitioned from a chemist to a leadership role as technical manager, and then to an R&D Director role, where the teams I was leading were developing materials for the top semiconductor companies.
A major decision in my career was to move from a primarily technical role to a business role: this switch was driven by the opportunity to apply my material science background in an ever-evolving business environment.
I have spent the last fifteen years in various business roles, each one teaching me something new about business, the ecosystem, and the products.
There is no straight career path from one point to another, but a fun journey where continuous learning, hard work, and developing new skills are key. I have had the excellent opportunity to work at great material technology companies such as Henkel and DuPont with excellent mentors. My previous position of Senior Vice President & General Manager was a result of these experiences and my decision to take a risk to try something different; pushing one's boundaries is always going to open new opportunities.
How are smaller players and companies within the semiconductor industry able to thrive and become profitable among large companies, such as Nvidia?
In Silicon Valley, where many new technologies have been developed, we have seen so many technological disruptions, for example: film cameras being replaced by digital cameras being replaced by cameras on a phone; cassettes being replaced by direct streaming from a music platform… Not all of these innovations were created in large companies. If a small company can develop a unique technology or solution and then make it popular or have it acquired by a larger company, either one is a success in our world.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about the semiconductor industry's role in powering AI?
The biggest misconception about the semiconductor industry's role in powering AI is that "the primary role of the industry is to just make faster and faster chips, and that it is easy!". Historically, the industry has doubled the speed of the chips every 18 months; however, we are now hitting challenges, which are requiring a much closer collaboration in the ecosystem across hardware design (ASIC, Memory), interconnect technology, thermal management, and material science. Integration of software is so much more critical to these newer power-hungry systems, as AI modules can use up electricity almost the same as a small city would.
What’s one breakthrough in semiconductor design or fabrication you believe will redefine AI in the next decade?
Increasing yield and cost for advanced packaging of various chips/chiplets for an AI module and making them smaller will accelerate the proliferation of AI beyond where it is today. From a chip design perspective, I have read that neuromorphic computing architectures could redefine the adoption of AI. This is because neuromorphic chips are expected to mimic the human brain; hence, they could be highly efficient, support higher levels of parallel processing, and be adaptable (i.e., function locally on their own).
What is one misconception a student considering working in the electronics and semiconductor industry may have towards careers within this industry?
The biggest misconception I would like to address about this industry is the perception that the semiconductor and electronics industry is very engineering-focused, and we all have to be geniuses at math– not true. There is a healthy balance of professionals from various backgrounds, and that is what makes it fun to work in this space.
There are many other job profiles which are needed in this industry, such as graphic design, marketing and communications, advertising, finance, and manufacturing. In the future, sustainability and environmental science will be important fields that will address the impact of manufacturing, waste reduction, carbon footprint reduction, and energy efficiency.
What are some important qualities for students to have or gain if they desire to work in this industry? What traits would you desire for someone interested in working alongside you?
Key qualities to excel in this field are adaptability and continuous learning, even more so than in other industries, because things tend to become obsolete very quickly in the semiconductor/electronics industry. In general, for students looking to add skills to their portfolio, they should definitely focus on problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, attention to detail, communication (ability to sell your idea), and collaboration. I have always enjoyed working with team members who are self-motivated, have a growth mindset, are open to others’ ideas, and know more than me! As one of my managers once said, "Shashi, always stay curious and hungry.”
Many thanks to Shashi Gupta for sharing his expertise.
