Even Moore’s law can't save affordable tech

The rapid expansion of the AI industry is driving a surge in demand for computer memory, leading to significant price hikes across consumer electronics and challenging the long-held assumption of Moore’s Law. Historically, Moore’s Law suggested that computing power would consistently become faster, smaller, and cheaper; however, current supply constraints—exemplified by massive data center projects like OpenAI’s Stargate—are upending this trend. Industry experts, including computer science professor Iris Bahar and tech analyst Steve Burke, highlight that while technological breakthroughs like sub-nanometer transistors continue, the sheer scale of AI-driven demand is creating unprecedented market shocks. As memory suppliers prioritize large-scale enterprise clients over consumer markets, the industry faces a critical inflection point, necessitating a fundamental shift in how future computing architectures are designed to maintain progress beyond traditional scaling limits.