Why is Apple asking me to pay more for Big Tech’s AI obsession?

Apple, along with other tech manufacturers, has increased prices for products like the MacBook Pro and iPad Air, citing the rising costs of RAM as the primary driver. Experts explain that as tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI prioritize AI data center infrastructure, they have redirected memory production toward specialized high-bandwidth memory, leading to shortages and higher costs for consumer electronics. While Apple frames these price hikes as an unsustainable economic necessity, analysts suggest the strategy is also driven by shareholder pressure to maintain high profit margins and show growth despite the company lagging in the current AI race.

(Source：The Verge)