10 hours ago
- The shortage of RAM and GPUs in 2026 may be deliberate, driven by AI companies hoarding hardware to prevent consumers from running powerful local AI models, thus preserving their subscription-based business model.
- The rise of Chinese AI models like DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen2.5 in 2025, released under permissive licenses, threatened AI industry profits by offering free, high-performance alternatives.
- RAM prices surged drastically from €26.45 to €235.90 by mid-2026, coinciding with AI companies buying up hardware for data centers while creating scarcity for others.
- US administration is considering restricting Chinese open-source AI models, reflecting protectionist measures and concern over competition from free Chinese models.
- The combined effects of hardware hoarding and potential regulations could leave consumers with scarce, expensive hardware and limited affordable AI access.