Artificial intelligence puts powerful new technology in consumers’ hands — if they can afford to use it.
The rise of AI requires enormous computing power, which in turn is leading to a shortage of memory chips. That’s pushing up the price of personal computers, according to analysts with Oxford Economics — the first time those prices have risen since the early 1980s. Computer costs had steadily declined over the past 40 years until the AI boom reversed that trend.
Recently, the cost of computers, software, and accessories has jumped more than 3% per month, according to Oxford’s analysis of government data.
“We’re talking about chip-intensive products that historically, we’ve seen prices remain flat or decrease,” Bernard Yaros, lead economist with the investment advisory firm, told CBS News. “It’s still early days and difficult to say if this is a blip or a trend, but it’s been a few months now. It’s putting a
...Keep reading this article on CBSNews.
