India, Feb. 23 -- The global semiconductor memory market is entering one of the most turbulent phases in years, with artificial intelligence (AI) demand reshaping supply, inflating prices and forcing device makers to rethink cost structures. As memory chip shortages ripple across consumer and industrial tech sectors, manufacturers face tougher choices, and consumers may soon feel the squeeze in the form of higher prices on smartphones, laptops, TVs and appliances.

At the heart of the disruption is high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a specialised, high-performance component essential to AI accelerators powering data centres. Soaring demand for HBM is creating a knock-on effect across the entire memory ecosystem, squeezing supply of standard DRA...