Massive AI buildout poses latest inflation threat as consumers pay more for laptops and electricity

Massive AI buildout poses latest inflation threat as consumers pay more for laptops and electricity, because somehow we're paying for the privilege of getting replaced by crappy chat bots [Murica]

[link] [6 comments]

Inflation In 'Core Services' Surges, Plus AI's Impact On Electricity And Goods: Inflation Beyond Gasoline

Inflation In 'Core Services' Surges, Plus AI's Impact On Electricity And Goods: Inflation Beyond Gasoline

2025 was a turning point for your electricity bill and it’s just getting more expensive from here. It’s not just data centers

The AI construction boom is not blameless, but it’s only one of the many reasons electricity is getting so pricey.

AI Power Crunch Has Investors Seeking Next IPO Winners

The artificial intelligence boom has a power problem, and Wall Street is betting billions on companies that promise to solve it — even if some of the technology hasn’t been fully developed yet.

AI is Driving Utilities to Spend a Record $240 Billion in 2026. Buy These Stocks to Capitalize on the Power Surge.

Artificial intelligence consumes significant amounts of power, and utilities will have to spend heavily to meet demand.

MacBooks, Xboxes grow more costly amid AI boom

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story How the AI boom is making MacBooks, Xboxes more expensive The AI boom is fueling massive demand for memory chips, forcing electronics manufacturers to grapple with rising prices that are starting to trickle down to consumers. © Illustration / Courtney Jones; and Adobe Stock Memory chips, which are...

These were Ireland's most popular low-cost consumer brands last year

Inflation means the branded fast-moving consumer goods sector is grappling with more careful consumers.

AI Growth Drives Global Competition for Electricity as Strategic Resource

(NaturalNews) The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating a surge in electricity demand that analysts say is reshaping global energy markets.A sin...

Trump promised to cut your electric bill in half. It’s up 16% instead

Electricity prices are rising — and President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are to blame. At a time when artificial intelligence, electrification of the economy, and increased domestic manufacturing are driving unprecedented growth in electricity demand, every move they make appears purposely designed to raise costs and block the production of the energy the nation []

Editorial: Sticker shock comes suddenly to the Apple store

A week after Apple CEO Tim Cook warned that price hikes for the company’s devices were “unavoidable” due to soaring costs in key components, consumers woke up Thursday to just how steep and immediate those increases would be. Try up to 20 ...

Oh no, that's Lenovo saying they think these RAM prices will be the new normal and may never go back to how they were

That RAM crisis, huh? Surely it'll end sometime soon. Undoubtedly. We'll all be able to afford technology again, games consoles and computers won't be only for the 1, and we can laugh about this silly point in history. Sorry, I've just had a note handed to me and, oh, oh no, Lenovo are saying they think that these new astronomically high prices will be the new normal as we enter 2030. Excuse me while I scream into the void for a moment. Read more

AI boom risks global financial crash, warn central bankers...

AI boom risks global financial crash, warn central bankers... (Top headline, 1st story, link) Drudge Report Feed needs your support! Become a Patron

How a New Air Conditioner Can Lower Your Energy Bills

Summer electric bills have a way of creeping up without much warning. One month everything

If There Wasn’t Enough Opposition to AI Data Centers Already, Now They’re Supercharging Inflation

Oh, great. The post If There Wasn’t Enough Opposition to AI Data Centers Already, Now They’re Supercharging Inflation appeared first on Futurism.

AI boom, strong energy demand drive Malaysia’s trade growth

AI boom, strong energy demand drive Malaysia’s trade growth

Computer Hardware Is Getting More Expensive. What's Going On?

Does it seem like hardware is getting more expensive? It's not your imagination. Since late last year, a number of hardware companies — including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, and, most recently, Apple — have all raised prices on computers and other equipment or warned customers that price increases were coming.

Korea’s policy chief warns chip windfall could inflate housing

A semiconductor boom is a fine problem for a country to have, until you start asking where the money goes. That is roughly the question South Korea’s top economic policymaker put to the public this week. Kim Yong-beom, who heads policy planning in the presidential office, warned that the windfall from the AI-driven chip surge [] This story continues at The Next Web

Future of finance hinges on human‑AI balance anchored in ethics, says Amir Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in finance, the future of the industr...

Energy bills are rising. What do I do if I can’t afford to pay?

Energy bills are are set to rise with Ofgem's new energy price cap. Here's everything you need to know, including where to get help if you can't afford to pay The post Energy bills are rising. What do I do if I can’t afford to pay? appeared first on Big Issue.

Fed report cites ’stepped-up’ inflation due to tariffs, Iran war, AI buildout

Fed report cites ’stepped-up’ inflation due to tariffs, Iran war, AI buildout

Man, It’s Going To Get So Much Worse Before It Gets Better

Even Apple is jacking up its prices, and the MacBook Neo is the latest casualty

Apple raises prices because AI ate the RAM

Generative AI was supposed to make computers smarter, but its most immediate consumer benefit appears to be making every other computer more expensive. The Verge reports that Apple is raising prices across much of its lineup: the MacBook Neo jumps from 599 to 699, the iPad Air from 599 to 749, and the M3 Ultra Mac Studio from 3,999 to 5,299. — Read the rest The post Apple raises prices because AI ate the RAM appeared first on Boing Boing.

The cost of fried electronics: Will City Power foot the bill?

The cost of fried electronics: Will City Power foot the bill?

The power crunch: How energy constraints reshape datacentre strategy

AI growth is now hitting a hard limit – electricity. With power shortages causing delays, firms are pivoting to on-site energy, liquid cooling, and edge computing to sustain scaling for AI

Tekanan kos jadi cabaran utama sektor pengguna

PETALING JAYA: Tekanan kos yang semakin meningkat dijangka menjadi cabaran utama kepada syarikat-syarikat sektor pengguna pada separuh kedua 2026, sekali gus memberi tekanan kepada margin keuntungan walaupun permintaan pengguna masih kekal berdaya tahan. BIMB Securities berkata, inflasi kos dijangka menjadi tema utama bagi sektor itu pada bulan-bulan mendatang, didorong terutamanya oleh peningkatan kos berkaitan tenaga ... Read more The post Tekanan kos jadi cabaran utama sektor pengguna appeared first on Utusan Malaysia.

PM says govt. should put top priority on reining in inflation

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Thursday the government should focus on reining in inflation, after data showed that the country's consumer prices rose at the fastest pace in 30 months last month due to the lingering impact of the Middle East conflict. Despite easing tensions in the Middle East, the government should not let its guard down as the economy is still facing challenges, such as high oil prices and a weakened Korean won, Han said while presiding over an emergency economic response

AI’s $7 Trillion Power Hunger Makes Bitzero Holdings (NASDAQ: AIBZ) One Of The Most Closely Watched Energy Plays Of The Decade

The artificial intelligence buildout is triggering an unexpected and historic bull run in natural gas and power stocks that investors are only beginning to fully appreciate. Data center electricity demand is projected to approach 945 terawatt-hours by 2030, roughly equal to Japan’s total annual power consumption, according to research from Berkeley Labs. Goldman Sachs estimates [] The post AI’s 7 Trillion Power Hunger Makes Bitzero Holdings (NASDAQ: AIBZ) One Of The Most Closely Watched Energy Plays Of The Decade appeared first on Foreign Policy Journal.

With a AU$769 price tag looming, grabbing a Switch 2 for AU$624 now is the closest thing gamers get to beating inflation

With a AU$769 price tag looming, grabbing a Switch 2 for AU$624 now is the closest thing gamers get to beating inflation

All Your Favorite Gadgets Are Getting Way More Expensive … Again

Thanks to the AI-driven chip shortage, prices for phones, computers, and consoles are sky-high—and still climbing.

World : AI’s Environmental Cost Threatens Water, Land Resources For Billions By 2030: UN Report

ISTANBUL, July 3 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Artificial intelligence’s rapid expansion is putting growing pressure on global electricity, water, and land resources, with data centres powering the technology projected to consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity by 2030, a United Nations University report warned on Friday.

Finance Minister downplays likelihood of further OCR rises

The monetary committee says above-target inflation and a stronger economy mean further increases will likely be needed, depending on whether fuel costs further inflate prices.

Risk perception in global markets rise amid high chip demand driving up costs

Inflationary risks shift to digital sector amid surging chip demand raising costs in AI, tech sectors, with potential Fed rate hikes dropping from 2 to 1 by year-end

Global memory shortages spike consumer electronics prices

Prices on consumer electronics have been steadily climbing around the world due to a shortage of memory chips.

Fixed power fees jump up to 70 per cent after regulator curbs usage charges

While power bills are set to fall from July 1, sudden increases in energy retailers’ grid-connection charges threaten to dilute some of these savings.

An AI Sovereign Wealth Windfall? First, Find the Windfall

Locating the source of new economic growth that will be generated by AI is trickier than it seems. The post An AI Sovereign Wealth Windfall? First, Find the Windfall appeared first on World Politics Review.