The RAM crisis, which directly affects the prices of many technological devices from smartphones to portable game consoles, does not seem to be solved anytime soon. Samsung, one of the world’s largest memory manufacturers, paints a picture that worries the technology world with its statements in its last earnings call.

The company predicts that the current memory crisis will deepen further next year (2027) due to huge demand from AI data centers.

Artificial Intelligence Demand Exceeds Production

Speaking at the financial evaluation meeting held on Thursday, Samsung memory chip unit manager Kim Jaejune emphasizes that the supply is very insufficient to meet customer demand. Speaking only based on the orders they have already received for 2027, Jaejune states that the gap between supply and demand will widen much more next year compared to 2026.

This situation is due to the fact that huge artificial intelligence servers, which especially require high capacity and fast memories, are literally swallowing the hardware stocks in the market. Although manufacturers try to increase the capacity of their factories, the speed of the artificial intelligence explosion is pushing the limits of existing production lines.

The Crisis Doesn’t Just Hit Samsung

This global hardware bottleneck is, of course, a common problem not only for Samsung but also for the entire industry. Other major players in the market, giants such as SK Hynix and Micron, are also struggling with similar challenges in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production.

In fact, some industry reports that emerged earlier this month indicate that it may take 2030 for the world’s largest RAM manufacturers to fully catch up with the increasing demand. The high profit margin on the artificial intelligence side pushes the production of RAM chips used in standard consumer electronics into the background, creating an upward pressure on the prices of phones, computers and tablets reaching the end user.

Strike Danger Awaiting Samsung

In addition to all this global chip demand, Samsung’s internal operational problems also stand out as an important element that threatens the supply chain. If the ongoing contract disputes between the company management and the labor union cannot be resolved, the union plans to go on a giant 18-day strike on May 21.

If this strike occurs, the slowdown in production lines that are currently unable to keep up with orders has the potential to carry the current memory crisis to much more serious and costly dimensions for the technology market.

What do you think about Samsung’s warnings about the RAM crisis and possible price increases? Don’t forget to express your thoughts in the comments section below.