[AI Minor News Flash] AI Devours HDDs! WD’s 2026 Stock Sold Out Already, Is There No Hope for Consumers?

📰 News Summary

• 2026 Supply Sold Out: Western Digital has revealed that its storage capacity for 2026 is already booked solid. It’s a bizarre situation, especially considering we’re still at the start of the year, and they’ve sold out over ten months in advance!
• Monopoly by Top 7 Companies: Most of the supply is allocated to the “Top 7 Companies,” three of which have already signed long-term contracts extending to 2028.
• Dwindling Consumer Market: Due to priority supply to AI companies, the consumer market has shrunk to a mere 5% of the company’s revenue.

💡 Key Points

• Expanding Supply Chain Impact: The hardware hoarding by AI companies is driving up prices for processors and RAM. PC makers are being forced to implement regular price increases.
• Ripple Effects in Gaming: Reports suggest that Sony may delay the launch of its next-gen PlayStation (originally planned for 2027) as they wait for AI-related hardware shortages to resolve.
• A Shortage with No End in Sight: Unless investors pull back from AI, this storage shortage and the resulting price hikes for consumers are expected to continue.

🦈 Shark’s Perspective (Curator’s View)

The appetite of AI companies is so voracious that HDDs are on the brink of becoming an “endangered species”! What’s particularly shocking is that only 5% of WD’s revenue comes from the consumer market. This stark figure illustrates the diminishing incentive for companies to prioritize regular users. And with reservations already made through 2028, we can expect a prolonged era of “high storage prices!” Given that AI requires massive data storage, this trend is likely to accelerate.

🚀 What’s Next?

As the hoarding by AI companies continues, the price hikes and shortages of storage products like HDDs, SSDs, and RAM are set to become the norm beyond 2026. It will become increasingly difficult for consumers to snag PCs or gaming consoles at reasonable prices, and the rule of thumb will be “secure it the moment you find it!”

💬 Shark’s Final Thoughts

Our HDDs have become the feast for AI! If we don’t snag some backup drives soon, they might become luxury items on par with gold bars in the future! 🦈🔥

📚 Glossary

• HDD (Hard Disk Drive): A high-capacity storage technology that uses magnetic disks to store data. It’s essential for the massive datasets required for AI training.

• RAM (Random Access Memory): Memory that computers use for temporary data read/write operations. Its scarcity driven by AI demand is a primary factor in rising PC prices.

• Supply Chain: The network that delivers products from raw materials to consumers. AI companies are “devouring” this chain, impacting the production of other goods.

• Source: Thanks a lot, AI: Hard drives are sold out for the year, says WD