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US AI Surge Fuels Memory Shortage, Price Spike

7/16/2026

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Story summary
  • U.S. AI firms are using 70 percent of the world’s high-end memory, creating a shortage.
  • AI features added to Windows and macOS in 2024-2025 have raised computer processing demands.
  • Hard-drive prices climbed from $350 to $800 and laptop costs rose 50 percent in 2026.
  • U.S. data-center capacity will expand eightfold, driving electricity use so high that jet engines power sites.