A global AI memory shortage threatens to morph into a geopolitical fight as more countries campaign to shore up their own supply, a South Korean tech executive said.
Prices for memory chips have skyrocketed in recent months as supply has failed to keep up with demand stemming from the AI boom.
That is leading to “near-chaotic lobbying” in which countries are treating memory access as an “economic security” issue, said the chairman of SK Group, the parent company of memory chip giant SK Hynix: Governments “will start pressuring other governments soon.”
Nations have long treated advanced computing chips as a matter of national security; rising hardware costs, though, could fuel inflation, adding a new layer of angst for world leaders.
