The future of computing is being built in the middle of the Arizona desert. Just outside Phoenix, Intel’s Fab 52 looks ordinary from a distance. It is another stretch of grey concrete under a blazing sky. Step closer and the reality shifts. This is where Intel is trying to reinvent itself after years of falling behind. Advertisement

Walk inside and the air itself feels engineered. It is filtered and replaced every few seconds, so not a single speck of dust can touch a silicon wafer. One stray particle can destroy weeks of work. Visitors remove anything that could contaminate the space, from perfume to hair gel. Then comes the bunny suit, a head-to-toe coverall that feels more like astronaut gear than factory clothing.

The quiet is unsettling. Robots glide along overhead rails, carrying

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