What Does Cloud Compute Look Like in an Isolationist Future?
What happens to the way we use cloud compute in a world that isn’t based on a global free trade movement?
I don’t really talk about politics. Not because we’re not supposed to on a professional platform but just because it’s not something I know anything about or can meaningfully comment on.
But there’s a disconnect even my oblivious, HPC focused, brain has noticed. I was listening to a mainstream UK radio station (but on YouTube, because you know, I’m not a luddite right) and the newscaster and his guest were talking about an autocratic ruler and the lack of a free press. It sounded like how people would (and probably still do?) talk about, say North Korea or Russia. I’m sure you’ve already guessed though that they were talking about the USA. I was genuinely surprised. I wouldn’t have imagined the UK media would refer to the USA in this way even a few months ago.
The disconnect for me though is that I’m not seeing that reflected in the people I work with. I’m seeing everyone carry on as though this isn’t happening. Continued use of USA based tech firms and more critically, cloud providers. In an industry that for most of my life has shown itself to be highly risk averse or at the very least have credible mitigation plans.
Even a whisper of tariffs or sanctions against a country that supplied important resources would lead to contingency plans or a change in strategy. So, I’m somewhat surprised that not only do those conversations not seem to be taking place, but also that everyone is continuing as though nothing has happened.
I started this post by saying politics is beyond my remit, and I guess this just proves it. Maybe this can’t be planned for? Maybe there is nothing that needs to be planned for? I don’t know. I’m going back to reading about schedulers and optimising workloads.
