Consumer hopes that the possible bursting of the “AI bubble” will bring affordable RAM prices back may not come true. Micron, one of the world’s largest chipmakers, believes that even if demand from AI data centers falls, the rapid development of humanoid robot production will keep DRAM prices high until at least 2027 and beyond.
Consumer hopes that the possible bursting of the “AI bubble” will bring affordable RAM prices back may not come true. Micron, one of the world’s largest chipmakers, believes that even if demand from AI data centers falls, the rapid development of humanoid robot production will keep DRAM prices high until at least 2027 and beyond.
In its fiscal 2027 financial guidance, Micron noted that “physical AI” and humanoid robots could become even bigger consumers of memory and storage than server infrastructure. According to the company’s CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, each humanoid robot will require at least 200GB of RAM and several terabytes of non-volatile memory.
"Memory is critical today. That's why I call it the strategic infrastructure of the AI era," Mehrotra told CNBC, adding that current demand for memory chips already exceeds supply by 50%.
Micron's 2027 forecast contains dismal news for the global electronics market: while manufacturers are expanding cleanrooms for DRAM production at a record pace, the market shortage will persist. The first mass application of physical AI was in autonomous vehicles, but robots and consumer gadgets with AI support will be the main drivers in the future.
According to Morgan Stanley analysts, the humanoid robot industry is on the verge of exponential growth: by 2030, deliveries of 250,000 to 1.2 million units per year are expected, and by 2050, the market volume could reach 930 million robots worth $5 trillion annually.
The insatiable demand for chips from the AI industry has already pushed DRAM prices to record highs, providing super profits for key players in the market. While Samsung and SK Hynix are paying millions in bonuses to employees from super profits, Micron's unions are also demanding similar compensation for their workers.
