The next phase of artificial intelligence will not be decided solely by who has the fastest chips. It will be shaped by who controls the full cost structure behind AI at scale. While markets remain fixated on Nvidia and the GPU supply chain, Google is pursuing a less visible but potentially more powerful approach: redesigning AI infrastructure from the ground up around proprietary hardware and tightly integrated systems.
This strategy shifts the investment debate away from raw performance benchmarks toward long-term economics. By internalising critical layers of the AI stack, Google aims to stabilise costs, reduce dependency on external vendors, and gain strategic flexibility as AI workloads grow exponentially. Projects like Ironwood are not about winning a hardware race, but about redefining margins and capital efficiency in an AI-driven business model.
Top points of analysis
Google will mass deploy a seventh generation TPU called Ironwood in 2026.
The biggest change is the infrastructure…