Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent surge in memory prices, particularly for NAND flash and DRAM, and attributes this trend to a combination of factors including supply-demand dynamics, technological advancements, and the growing influence of AI companies on the memory market [10][11][24]. Summary by Sections Memory Price Trends - The price of 1TB solid-state drives (SSDs) has increased from around 300 yuan to over 600 yuan, while the price of 32GB DDR5 memory modules has also risen significantly, costing several hundred to over a thousand yuan more than before [11][12]. - The memory price increase is expected to affect nearly all consumer electronic devices, as noted by industry leaders like Lei Jun, who cited rising memory costs as a reason for higher product prices [14][15]. Causes of Price Increase - The memory market has experienced cycles of price fluctuations, often influenced by supply-demand imbalances and production adjustments by manufacturers [19][22]. - The current price surge is partly due to the memory industry's traditional cycles but is also driven by the increasing demand from AI companies, which are willing to pay premium prices for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) [25][26][28]. AI Influence on Memory Market - AI companies are shifting the focus of memory manufacturers from consumer products to high-margin AI applications, leading to a significant reallocation of production capacity towards HBM and enterprise SSDs [28][39]. - The demand from AI firms has resulted in longer delivery times for traditional HDDs, pushing manufacturers to prioritize SSD production, which offers better performance and profitability [41][44]. Consumer Impact - Ordinary consumers are facing a decline in their purchasing power for memory products as they compete with AI giants for limited production capacity [45]. - Despite the rising prices, there are indications that manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix are reconsidering their production strategies in response to the changing market dynamics [47].