AI’s Hidden Gatekeeper: DRAM Prices Jump 497% as Memory Becomes Core Infrastructure

DRAM prices in Korea surged 497% year over year, highlighting memory as AI data-center bottleneck. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron control about 95% of global DRAM supply, boosting memory makers’ pricing power as hyperscale AI deployments accelerate. While memory costs are rising, analysts say this memory squeeze is unlikely to slow AI expansion in the near term and may instead shape margins and supplier dynamics in the AI infrastructure race.