Rising global prices for random access memory (RAM), driven by growing demand from artificial intelligence workloads, are creating new challenges for hardware supply while opening strategic opportunities for technology developers in Türkiye, according to industry representatives.
Cihan Sari, General Secretary of the Istanbul-based Artificial Intelligence and Technology Association, said the rapid expansion of generative AI has intensified demand for high-performance computing resources, pushing memory prices to record levels and creating what he described as a global hardware bottleneck. The shift is being driven by major manufacturers prioritizing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production for data centers supporting large-scale AI model training.
As semiconductor companies redirect manufacturing capacity toward AI infrastructure, consumer-grade memory supply has tightened, contributing to significant price increases. Industry observers note that the growing competition for memory resources reflects broader physical and economic limits emerging within the AI ecosystem, with hardware constraints increasingly influencing innovation strategies.
Sari suggested that the evolving environment presents an opportunity for Türkiye’s technology sector to focus on efficiency-driven innovation rather than competing directly in resource-intensive AI model development. He emphasized the potential of smaller, domain-specific AI models designed for sectors such as healthcare, legal services, and manufacturing, which require fewer computational resources while delivering targeted business value.
The approach reflects a broader industry shift toward optimized AI architectures capable of operating efficiently within existing infrastructure constraints. As AI adoption accelerates globally, developers are increasingly exploring specialized models that prioritize performance, cost efficiency, and practical application over scale alone.
