[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-it-inflation-how-ai-is-driving-up-the-costs-of-tech-infrastructure":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":95,"popular_news":154,"categories":219},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category_id":34,"links":81,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":86,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"category":89},"IT Inflation: How AI is Driving Up the Costs of Tech Infrastructure","In the rush to integrate artificial intelligence into every facet of business, from customer support and analytics to marketing and even office amenities, companies are encountering an unexpected economic twist: \"IT inflation.\"","Businesses must adapt, perhaps by prioritizing efficient AI implementations or exploring alternatives, to navigate this inflated landscape without breaking the bank.","For IT professionals — half of whom may already feel the strain — this \"memory inflation\" is a new variable to factor into budgets and strategies.","\u003Cp>In the rush to integrate artificial intelligence into every facet of business, from customer support and analytics to marketing and even office amenities, companies are encountering an unexpected economic twist: "IT inflation."\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-03-14T100400.254.jpg\" width=\"300\" />Far from the cost-saving panacea many envisioned, AI adoption is inflating the price of computing resources, particularly memory and cloud services.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>As of March 2026, this phenomenon — fueled by insatiable demand for high-performance hardware — has led to memory prices surging by 50-55% quarter-over-quarter, with ripple effects pushing up costs for servers, data centers, and everyday tech. What started as a boom in efficiency is morphing into a new normal of elevated expenses, affecting startups and enterprises alike. Let's explore how this inflation is unfolding and what it means for the tech ecosystem.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The AI Boom: Adoption Everywhere, But at What Cost?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"372\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-03-14T100334.288.jpg\" width=\"250\" />AI's integration has become ubiquitous. Small startups and Fortune 500 giants alike are embedding AI agents into operations, often replacing or augmenting human roles — think nine employees swapped for ten AI tools in a fledgling company.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This isn't always driven by pure efficiency; investor hype and competitive pressures play a role, with firms implementing AI simply because "\u003Ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-15/rampant-ai-demand-for-memory-is-fueling-a-growing-chip-crisis\">everyone else is doing it.\u003C/a>" Global IT spending is projected to exceed \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cio.com/article/4126847/gartner-it-spending-to-exceed-6-trillion-by-2026.html\">$6 trillion\u003C/a> in 2026, with strong growth in AI infrastructure offsetting other areas.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>However, AI demands far more resources than traditional software. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM are critical for AI accelerators like those from Nvidia, AMD, and Google. These chips require exponentially more memory—up to orders of magnitude—for training and inference tasks.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are shifting production to these lucrative HBM lines, which are 3-5 times more profitable than standard DRAM. As a result, hyperscalers such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud have pre-booked up to 70% of global HBM supplies years in advance, creating shortages for everyone else.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The Memory Crunch: From Shortages to Skyrocketing Prices\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-03-14T100358.487.jpg\" width=\"300\" />This pivot has triggered a global memory crisis. In 2025, DRAM prices rose 300%, with an additional 50% spike in January 2026 alone. Server DRAM jumped 60-90% in Q1 2026, while standard 32GB modules in retail markets quadrupled from under \u003Ca href=\"https://www.howtogeek.com/dont-count-on-hdds-to-save-you-from-rising-storage-costs\">$100 to $450\u003C/a> equivalents in some regions. NAND flash and SSDs, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.365i.co.uk/news/2026/02/27/cloud-hosting-prices-surging-ai-ram-shortage\">vital for storage in everything from laptops to data centers, have seen 3-4x increases.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The crunch extends beyond AI-specific hardware. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.intelligentcio.com/north-america/2026/01/21/the-storage-and-memory-squeeze-of-2026-why-it-leaders-must-act-now-on-unstructured-data\">Memory is foundational to all IT infrastructure\u003C/a> — clouds, databases, hosting, and SaaS platforms. As AI companies hoard supplies for massive data centers, the scarcity drives up costs across the board.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>For instance, server prices in standard configurations rose at least \u003Ca href=\"https://www.theitvortex.com/rising-server-hardware-prices-2026\">30%\u003C/a> in 2025, with AI-oriented components spiking 170-200%. Even consumer tech feels the pinch: Lenovo announced 15-25% hikes across its laptop lineup in 2026, \u003Ca href=\"https://bellsitsupport.co.uk/the-ai-memory-crunch-why-component-prices-are-soaring\">while custom PC builders like Falcon Northwest saw average prices rise $1,500 to $8,000.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>In regions like Russia, import dependencies exacerbate the issue, with domestic production covering only a third of needs, leading to a "perfect storm" of supply constraints. Globally, data center capex for AI is ballooning from $217 billion in 2024 to an estimated $650 billion in 2026, further straining resources.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Ripple Effects: Cloud Price Hikes and Business Impacts\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2026-03-14T100335.566.jpg\" width=\"300\" />Cloud providers, the backbone of modern IT, are passing on these costs. Providers like Hetzner and OVHcloud have announced hikes of 15-50%, with averages of 5-15% across the board and up to 30-40% for premium setups. In the UK, businesses face a "triple squeeze" from currency weakness, energy costs, and memory shortages. Even on-premise solutions are hit harder, as old-stock depletes and new hardware becomes 1.5-3 times more expensive, causing project delays and cancellations.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>For startups, the irony is stark: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.clickittech.com/ai/the-hidden-costs-of-ai\">AI agents reduce headcount but inflate cloud bills as providers rebuild infrastructure amid rising component costs\u003C/a>. Larger firms like Oracle are locking in long-term contracts to mitigate volatility, but smaller players may consolidate, with 3-5 majors capturing 80-90% of the market. As one expert notes, this creates a "wave effect" along the supply chain, impacting suppliers, buyers, and end-users alike.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Also read:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/china-s-darry-ring-the-jewelry-brand-selling-lifelong-commitment-not-just-diamonds\">China's Darry Ring: The Jewelry Brand Selling Lifelong Commitment, Not Just Diamonds\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/the-overlooked-crackdown-china-s-tech-giants-reined-in-over-involution-pricing-wars-amid-deflation-fears\">The Overlooked Crackdown: China's Tech Giants Reined In Over 'Involution' Pricing Wars Amid Deflation Fears\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/zuckerberg-s-latest-move-acquiring-moltbook-the-ai-agent-social-network-prank-or-power-play\">Zuckerberg's Latest Move: Acquiring Moltbook, the AI-Agent Social Network – Prank or Power Play?\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/economic-interdependence-as-a-deterrent-to-war-the-enduring-lessons-of-norman-angell\">Economic Interdependence as a Deterrent to War? The Enduring Lessons of Norman Angell\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The Future: A Stalling Spiral or Enduring Norm?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, if memory prices soar too high, AI adoption could slow, reversing the inflation spiral. But with penetration already widespread — from experimental pilots to industrial-scale use — this seems unlikely. Instead, experts predict ongoing pressure through Q3 2026, with IT leaders urged to optimize unstructured data and seek flexible cloud models to buffer costs.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>For IT professionals — half of whom may already feel the strain — this "memory inflation" is a new variable to factor into budgets and strategies. As AI evolves from hype to staple, the era of cheap computing may be over, replaced by a more expensive, resource-intensive reality. Businesses must adapt, perhaps by prioritizing efficient AI implementations or exploring alternatives, to navigate this inflated landscape without breaking the bank.\u003C/p>","it-inflation-how-ai-is-driving-up-the-costs-of-tech-infrastructure","2026-03-14T09:06:27.000000Z","2026-03-18T06:57:00.000000Z","18.03.2026",{"image":82,"thumb":83},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/tIbxaJVo8NwKE5biBWfsvq4eXtAe8MX87nSkPIXG.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/tIbxaJVo8NwKE5biBWfsvq4eXtAe8MX87nSkPIXG.jpg","small",null,551,0,"en",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36,"meta_title":90,"meta_description":91,"meta_keywords":92,"deleted_at":85,"created_at":93,"updated_at":94,"lang":88},"Quasa Media's Growth Hacking Finance Blog","Trends in financial literacy. Savings and investment options.","Finance, invest, money, rich, financial plan","2021-10-27T19:57:04.000000Z","2024-08-25T15:36:23.000000Z",[96,109,120,131,142],{"title":97,"description":98,"slug":99,"created_at":100,"publish_at":101,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":103,"links":104,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":107,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"China’s Five-Year Plans Strike Again: How Centralized Vision and Competitive Freedom Are Powering the Next Frontier of Brain-Computer Interfaces","In an era of breakneck technological change, China’s much-maligned five-year planning system is proving surprisingly effective. Far from the rigid, top-down micromanagement of the Soviet era, Beijing’s modern industrial strategies deliberately avoid over-specifying every detail.","china-s-five-year-plans-strike-again-how-centralized-vision-and-competitive-freedom-are-powering-the-next-frontier-of-brain-computer-interfaces","2026-03-28T17:45:42.000000Z","2026-04-10T11:36:00.000000Z","10.04.2026",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":105,"thumb":106},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/9e878UicRgHXBtTQ74llERUUJHi9VJhY6RrS6GzZ.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/9e878UicRgHXBtTQ74llERUUJHi9VJhY6RrS6GzZ.jpg",122,false,{"title":110,"description":111,"slug":112,"created_at":113,"publish_at":114,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":115,"links":116,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":119,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"This AI Will Tell You Exactly How Attractive You Are — And It Only Takes 25 Seconds","There’s a new viral AI tool that does something most of us secretly want to know but are afraid to ask: it looks at your face and gives you a straight-up attractiveness score.","this-ai-will-tell-you-exactly-how-attractive-you-are-and-it-only-takes-25-seconds","2026-03-27T20:13:20.000000Z","2026-04-10T09:34:00.000000Z",{"title":27,"slug":28},{"image":117,"thumb":118},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/eTdAX16TIQnnM1X90hkB2oOPixcWqRw3eZlaGUta.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/eTdAX16TIQnnM1X90hkB2oOPixcWqRw3eZlaGUta.jpg",242,{"title":121,"description":122,"slug":123,"created_at":124,"publish_at":125,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":126,"links":127,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":130,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Nubia Unveils RedMagic 11 Pro: The World’s First Gaming Smartphone with Liquid Cooling","The new flagship features a ceramic micropump, a massive 8,000mAh battery, and a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.","nubia-unveils-redmagic-11-pro-the-world-s-first-gaming-smartphone-with-liquid-cooling","2026-03-26T06:45:27.000000Z","2026-04-10T06:40:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":128,"thumb":129},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/g3jNseMCCzEO2cZreMfoeEH3R0kh2VsnDf511jwh.png","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/g3jNseMCCzEO2cZreMfoeEH3R0kh2VsnDf511jwh.png",280,{"title":132,"description":133,"slug":134,"created_at":135,"publish_at":136,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":137,"links":138,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":141,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Chinese Startup Hypershell Unveils X Ultra Exoskeleton — More Powerful Than an E-Bike","Hypershell, a Chinese company specializing in wearable robotics, has just launched one of the most impressive consumer exoskeletons to date: the Hypershell X Ultra.","chinese-startup-hypershell-unveils-x-ultra-exoskeleton-more-powerful-than-an-e-bike","2026-03-25T21:36:46.000000Z","2026-04-10T03:27:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":139,"thumb":140},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/xgiykS2Xj3WKWW2BoMKNqCWFJgIrJ1rfykipZMXy.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/xgiykS2Xj3WKWW2BoMKNqCWFJgIrJ1rfykipZMXy.jpg",370,{"title":143,"description":144,"slug":145,"created_at":146,"publish_at":147,"formatted_created_at":148,"category":149,"links":150,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":153,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Your Computer Mouse Can Now Eavesdrop on You","Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated a surprising new security threat: an ordinary optical computer mouse can be turned into a covert microphone capable of listening to your conversations.","your-computer-mouse-can-now-eavesdrop-on-you","2026-03-25T21:21:22.000000Z","2026-04-09T11:13:00.000000Z","09.04.2026",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":151,"thumb":152},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/zvGSPNFVpmuJgnlniEHiwPc4aaeGYIVAuwxhouXu.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/zvGSPNFVpmuJgnlniEHiwPc4aaeGYIVAuwxhouXu.jpg",926,[155,168,182,194,207],{"title":156,"description":157,"slug":158,"created_at":159,"publish_at":160,"formatted_created_at":161,"category":162,"links":163,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":166,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":164,"thumb":165},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",68867,2,{"title":169,"description":170,"slug":171,"created_at":172,"publish_at":173,"formatted_created_at":174,"category":175,"links":176,"view_type":179,"video_url":85,"views":180,"likes":181,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":177,"thumb":178},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","large",68460,4,{"title":183,"description":184,"slug":185,"created_at":186,"publish_at":187,"formatted_created_at":188,"category":189,"links":190,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":193,"likes":181,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":191,"thumb":192},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",66437,{"title":195,"description":196,"slug":197,"created_at":198,"publish_at":199,"formatted_created_at":200,"category":201,"links":202,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":205,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":206,"is_pinned":108},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":203,"thumb":204},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg",40689,1,{"title":208,"description":209,"slug":210,"created_at":211,"publish_at":212,"formatted_created_at":213,"category":214,"links":215,"view_type":179,"video_url":85,"views":218,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":216,"thumb":217},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg",39974,[220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,231,232],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]