Demand from the AI sector is expected to push up the price of computer chips for consumer goods this year. Photograph: iStockPrices of smartphones, computers and home appliances could jump by 20 per cent this year, consumers have been warned, as artificial intelligence demand drives up the cost of memory chips used in electronics. The global buildout of data centres to power AI models has spurred demand for cutting-edge high-bandwidth memory chips, leading chipmakers to deprioritise the lower-end semiconductors used in consumer electronics, said analysts. This has created shortages of dynamic random-access memory (Dram) chips, which are used in everything from cars to computers for temporary data storage. Samsung last month raised the price of some memory chips by as much as 60 per cent.

Source: The Irish Times January 01, 2026 17:29 UTC