Micron Warns RAM Shortage to Worsen in 2027 and 2028 as Robots Add Demand

The memory chip maker, one of the three largest in the industry, released fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 results with sharply higher profits. In its accompanying guidance, Micron said, 'We expect memory and storage supply-demand conditions to be much tighter in calendar 2027 and 2028 than they were in 2026.' The company also said that even with additional industry DRAM cleanroom space plans and robust demand trends, including new upside requests from customers, it does not have line of sight to when supply and demand will return to balance.

The guidance puts 2028 on a similar level to 2027 in terms of shortage risk, according to TechRadar. That extends a widely expected tight market for 2027 into the following year and adds to a narrative that the RAM crisis could last until 2030. TechRadar noted that one of the earliest mentions of that timeline came from Nvidia's CEO.

Micron also pointed to so-called physical AI as a future source of demand. The company said humanoid robots could need more than 200GB of DRAM and multiple terabytes of storage per unit, and that several physical AI customers are already sampling next-generation products. Micron said this could become a significant driver of memory and storage demand by the end of this decade.

That forecast matters even if the current AI bubble deflates and reduces demand for servers in data centers, according to TechRadar. In that scenario, robots and other physical AI systems could still keep pressure on memory supply because they will also require large amounts of DRAM and storage.

The comments drew attention from market observers on X. Eric Jhonsa, a portfolio manager for a Dutch asset corporation, flagged Micron's guidance on the tighter supply-demand conditions. Shay Boloor, chief market strategist at Futurum Equities, highlighted Micron's remarks about physical AI and robots as a potential source of demand.

TechRadar's analysis said Micron may be exaggerating the timing of robot-driven demand, because in such forecasts it is in the company's interest to build up its future prospects and attract more investment. Still, the report said Micron is in a very strong position and robots are clearly on its radar. With widespread disagreement over whether the AI bubble will burst, the outlook adds another concern for consumers, alongside the possibility of robots taking over jobs.

For now, the message from Micron's guidance is that RAM supply is expected to remain tight not just in 2027 but also in 2028, and that the emergence of physical AI could keep demand elevated into the end of the decade. TechRadar said it seems clear that RAM will not reach affordable pricing levels for a long time yet.

Editor's Summary

Micron's fiscal Q4 2026 guidance warns that memory and storage supply-demand will be much tighter in 2027 and 2028 than in 2026, with no clear return to balance. The company also says humanoid robots could require more than 200GB of DRAM and multiple terabytes of storage each, potentially sustaining demand even if data center AI demand cools. The warning reinforces expectations that RAM prices will remain under pressure for years.