The Memory Tax: How AI Data Centers Broke the Chip Market and What CES 2026 Refused to Say
At CES 2026, Samsung's TM Roh promised AI in everything. Twelve days earlier, he told Reuters price hikes were unavoidable. That gap between keynote and confession defines a memory shortage manufacturers have no intention of fixing anytime soon.
Marcus SchulerJanuary 6, 2026, 7:00 AM PST · 16 min read
TM Roh took the stage at the Wynn Las Vegas on Sunday evening, January 4th, wearing the confident smile Samsung executives practice for these things. The keynote had been in rehearsal for weeks. Double Gemini-powered devices this year, he announced. Take them from 400 million to 800 million. Start with phones, spread to televisions, and yes, eventually your refrigerator would get smarter too. "One seamless, unified AI experience," he called it. The audience clapped on cue.
Senior broadcast journalist and former ARD correspondent for Europe's largest public broadcaster. Covering the tech industry from San Francisco for 10+ years. Founded implicator.ai for independent, rigorous AI reporting.
E-mail: [email protected]
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