AI hardware demand drives chip prices up as tech firms expand access

Right now, the AI boom is showing up in unexpected places. Take NVIDIA's B200 chip — it's now selling for 58% more than when it first launched, all because demand for AI hardware is so high that even used units are going at a premium. Over in China, Huawei says it'll release two new Ascend AI chips next year to keep up in the race. On the software side, Google is letting certain AI agents like Claude and ChatGPT connect to Google Home through an MCP server, so they can control lights, thermostats, and more — but only under tight conditions. Snap also just launched its own AI assistant called Specs Intelligence, which tries to anticipate what you need and help with work, starting on iPhone by invitation. It's not all progress, though. Cisco had to patch a critical flaw in its network security software that hackers were already using, and Google confirmed a small number of Pixel phones were hit by a modem-based attack — though a fix is out. And in Washington, the House moved forward on a bill to stop AI data center costs from being dumped on regular people and small businesses, passing it overwhelmingly. The message is clear: AI is spreading fast, but so are the pressures it brings.