AI vs. Your Wallet: The Hidden Cost of the Revolution.

You probably hear about Artificial Intelligence (AI) everywhere: writing texts, generating images, or helping at work. But what we weren't told is that this "digital revolution" has a very real physical cost that is starting to hit our wallets, even if we don't use AI at all.

The problem isn't the software, but the parts it's built with. Memory chip manufacturers are prioritizing tech giants, leaving the "crumbs" of production for the devices you and I use every day .

The "problem" of silicon wafers

The memory needed for AI servers is much more complex than standard PC memory. Manufacturing a single AI memory chip requires three times more material (circular sheets called wafers) than a normal memory chip .

Since factories have a limit on how much they can produce, they prefer to use their materials for high-priced AI chips rather than making cheap memory for the general public. This creates an artificial scarcity that pushes prices up .

The impact on your next device

In the smartphone world, the situation is curious: we might see a "backstep." To keep prices low in 2026, many brands are considering selling phones with only 4GB of RAM again—something considered a thing of the past . If you want a powerful phone that runs AI, get ready to pay a significant extra.

In the PC market, history repeats itself. Components like DDR5 RAM and graphics cards have seen major price hikes . Some companies are even stopping the production of budget models to focus solely on the enterprise sector, where the real money is today.

As for video game consoles, it's unlikely we'll see aggressive discounts. Memory accounts for nearly one-third of the manufacturing cost of a modern console . Because of this, some companies have already hinted that, far from dropping, they might even need to adjust their prices upwards to avoid losing money on each unit sold .

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We are not facing the end of the tech world, but a change in the rules. AI is here to stay, and for now, the "tax" for that progress is being paid by average users through slightly more expensive devices or more modest specs.

It's a good time to take care of what we have and keep an eye out for opportunities before prices continue to adjust. And now, the million-dollar question: if you have some savings and were thinking about upgrading your graphics card... do you think it's a good time?

Think about it: at this rate, by the time GTA VI is released, your current graphics card could be worth as much as a beach apartment!