Japanese companies report encouraging financial results, driven by growing demand for artificial intelligence. However, the stock market euphoria is overshadowed by geopolitical tension in Iran. Several firms have chosen to exclude any projections related to the conflict, aware that it could disrupt supply, production, and global consumer confidence.
Chips and algorithms: the engine dodging geopolitics 🤖
The development of specialized hardware for AI, such as graphics processing units and high-performance servers, has boosted sales for Japanese tech firms. These companies focus on optimizing performance per watt and latency in data centers. Industrial automation based on machine learning also reports sustained growth. However, dependence on raw materials and shipping routes crossing the Persian Gulf remains a blind spot in their financial statements.
Corporate optimism: looking the other way with blind faith 🦩
Japanese executives have decided to apply the ostrich technique: if I don't see the missile, it doesn't exist. They claim the Iranian conflict is an unpredictable external factor, so they erase it from their spreadsheets. It's the same logic as covering the car's dashboard light to avoid seeing you're running out of gas. The faith that AI will solve everything is so great that even oil seems digital.