The RAM-Ifications of AI: how AI is Making Your Computers and Phones More Expensive
The AI RAM shortage is making phones and PCs more expensive—here’s why and when it might end.
Matilda
The RAM-Ifications of AI: how AI is Making Your Computers and Phones More Expensive
AI RAM Shortage Drives Up Device Prices If you’ve noticed your new laptop or smartphone costing more than expected in early 2026, you’re not imagining things. A global shortage of RAM—fueled by surging demand from AI data centers—is pushing memory prices upward, and everyday consumers are feeling the pinch. With manufacturers pivoting production toward high-bandwidth memory for enterprise AI workloads, supplies of standard consumer RAM are tightening, delaying upgrades and inflating costs across the board. Credit: Google Why AI Needs So Much RAM Artificial intelligence doesn’t just run on algorithms—it runs on memory. Modern AI models, especially large language models like those powering chatbots and image generators, require massive amounts of RAM to process prompts quickly and maintain long context windows. Unlike traditional computing tasks that can shuffle data between storage and memory, AI thrives on instant access. That means data centers deploying AI infrastructure are gobbling up…
