United States faces AI‑driven price spikes and inflation pressures

A surge of investment in artificial‑intelligence data centres—estimated to exceed $700 billion this year—has pushed up the cost of memory chips, processors and electricity, sparking a new wave of price increases for American consumers. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase say memory‑chip prices have risen as much as 400 % since 2024, prompting Apple to raise MacBook and iPad prices by 15‑25 % and Microsoft to add $100 to Xbox prices. Electricity rates have jumped 6 % year‑on‑year as data‑centre power demand climbs. Goldman Sachs warns that AI‑related spending is adding roughly 20 basis points to U.S. core PCE inflation now and could reach 50 basis points by year‑end, far above the modest impacts projected for other advanced economies. The Federal Reserve is monitoring the trend, noting that sustained AI‑driven demand could force tighter monetary policy. The broader economy shows divergent effects. U.S. Census data reveal AI adoption is accelerating among large firms (38 % of companies with 250+ employees now use AI) while remaining flat at about 20 % for firms with fewer than 20 workers, creating a “barbell” where solo entrepreneurs are leveraging AI to generate $1 million‑plus revenues. Office‑space demand from AI companies jumped 85 % year‑over‑year, concentrated in San Francisco and other tech hubs. Globally, AI‑related goods accounted for roughly one‑third of all trade growth in 2025, with the United States capturing a 66 % share of that surge. The supply chain for AI hardware now routes heavily through Taiwan, South Korea and ASEAN, reshaping trade patterns. In Taiwan, think‑tank forecasts have been sharply revised upward, with the Central Research Institute projecting 2026 GDP growth of 10.16 % on the back of AI‑driven export strength, while also flagging housing‑price pressures that are dampening fertility rates.