AI infrastructure growth triggers global memory chip shortages and price spikes

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is creating significant disruptions within the global technology supply chain, specifically impacting the memory chip market. As massive investments in AI facilities consume vast quantities of DRAM and SSD hardware, supply for consumer devices like smartphones and PCs has become severely constrained.

Financial and market analysts have released alarming forecasts for 2026. IDC projects a 16.7% decline in global smartphone shipments, coupled with a 27.6% rise in average selling prices. Furthermore, Gartner predicts that DRAM and SSD costs could surge by approximately 130% by the end of 2026, leading to inevitable price hikes for consumer electronics. These pressures extend across the entire ecosystem, including GPUs, energy consumption, and advanced semiconductor availability.

In response to these vulnerabilities, the European Union has prioritized semiconductor strategy, with the European Commission introducing new proposals in June 2026 to address technology dependencies. Policymakers and industry leaders remain focused on mitigating the risks posed by this AI-driven hardware squeeze as demand for new data centers and AI factories continues to intensify.