Samsung: AI data centers squeeze memory, consumer tech may get pricier

Samsung warned of potential price increases for consumer electronics amid a global shortage of memory chips. The main cause, it said, is the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers that are buying up large volumes of DRAM and storage.

Speaking at CES 2026, Wonjin Lee, Samsung’s head of global marketing, said demand from AI infrastructure is already putting visible pressure on the memory market. He noted that the company is facing higher internal costs and is considering price revisions to reflect the new economic reality.

Memory chips power almost every modern device, from smartphones and laptops to household appliances. But servers built for AI workloads consume especially large amounts of high-speed memory, which narrows the supply available to the consumer segment.

Industry sources indicate that late last year Samsung had already raised contract prices in the memory segment, and analysts expect pricing pressure to persist into 2026. Other electronics makers, including Dell, Lenovo, and Asus, have sent similar signals as their component costs rise.

At the same time, Samsung emphasized that it does not intend to pass every additional expense directly to buyers. Still, the company tied future pricing to conditions in the memory market and the pace of AI infrastructure growth—an implicit reminder that consumer tech is increasingly moving in step with the AI build-out.