this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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[–] bonenode@piefed.social 323 points 2 days ago (11 children)

I think calling it a RAM shortage is a bit incorrect. It is not like we are running out of raw materials or something else in the supply chain is broken. It's shitty AI companies buying RAM that is not existing yet with money they don't have. Unfortunately there's no good term for that, I guess.

[–] kingofras@lemmy.world 140 points 2 days ago (6 children)

It’s called Imaginary Economics.

It tends to happen right before a capitalist system fails.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 73 points 2 days ago (18 children)

It tends to happen right before a capitalist system fails.

How often does this happen that we can claim this correlation? 🤔

[–] Venator@lemmy.nz 33 points 2 days ago (2 children)

About once every 350 years... With a sample size of 3... 😅

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So you're saying which empires/systems exactly then?

Spain perhaps? The Holy Roman empire?

[–] Venator@lemmy.nz -2 points 1 day ago

I was averaging roman, British and Mongolian empires, based on Google AI summary, so take that with a pinch of salt 😅 🧂

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

Better than no samples I guess!

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[–] BreakerSwitch@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Is this a thing? Because what comes to mind for me is "the market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent," which just happens sometimes

[–] blah3166@piefed.social 27 points 2 days ago

Can I coin the term imagineomics?

[–] boatswain@infosec.pub 13 points 2 days ago

[citation needed]

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 11 points 2 days ago

When has this happened before?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm not holding my breath.

We've been hearing about an AI crash practically since the hype train started.

[–] daddycool@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

It's the biggest bubble seen to date. It has all the characteristics, and it will crash eventually.

People can see the trends and see how it will probably break down in some way, the problem is that the market can stay irrational longer than we can stay solvent. It helps that these dipshits seem to have forgotten that money equals abstract resources and creating new resource issues that'll certainly put pressure on them in a more direct way either through legislation or via sabotage of required infrastructure.

[–] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 64 points 2 days ago

The term was well established centuries ago.

FRAUD

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Supply monopolization?

Consumer fraud?

Sherman Act cartel market manipulation.

Section 1 of the Sherman Act prohibits price fixing and the operation of cartels, and prohibits other collusive practices that unreasonably restrain trade.

I like electron finance

Their exact location cannot be pinpointed; instead, they exist in a probability cloud where they are likely to be found at any given time.

That's what this hype cycle is founded on. If I lend you $5, you have $5 you can lend further. Now, we each still have a right to $5, so we can lend that debt obligation again for $4.50. Now we have, somehow, a market value of $19.

Until someone looks, then it's probably 0.

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 43 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yes there is: it's a Ponzi scheme (AI companies will fail when they get no new funds to pay off the stockholders)

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Are they paying off stockholders?

[–] Rothe@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago

They are creating staggering shortsighted profits, so yes, they are doing that. And of course ignoring what a bubble does in the long run.

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

Those who bail out only.

[–] sefra1@lemmy.zip 24 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Unfortunately there’s no good term for that, I guess.

Market manipulation?

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's a racket, plain and simple. There used to be laws against this sort if thing.

[–] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 days ago

It's a racket, plain and simple. There used to be laws against this sort if thing.

Keyword: used to

I hope that it was worth it, and that America is great again. Let me just check some news articles... Oh my

[–] gressen@lemmy.zip 20 points 2 days ago

It is a shortage caused by artificial demand rise.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

A mismatch between supply and demand is called a shortage. The source is irrelevant.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It’s shitty AI companies buying RAM

It's greedy manufacturers selling it all to them in the first place and other market segments be damned.
I'm no AI fan but the manufactures aren't angels either.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

The shovel makers and shovel sellers always get rich in a gold rush

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If your boss offered you a raise for the same work, would you turn it down?

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The money is fixed. You getting a raise means the money has to come from somewhere- which means the boss taking a pay cut or the customers paying more.

[–] 0x0@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Still not the same, i don't work for any of those manufacturers - and if i did i sure as hell wouldn't care if their CEOs got a paycut to benefit the consumers. Won't someone please pity the CEOs...

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I'm referring to the relationship between someone offering you more money for the same work the difference of which gets passed on to consumers.

A few consumers are going to a business and offering more money for the same work. The consumer is the business's boss just like your boss might offer you more money. You aren't going to turn down the raise because it will hurt other consumers just like the business isn't going to turn down the money even though it will cost other consumers more.

and if i did i sure as hell wouldn’t care if their CEOs got a paycut to benefit the consumers

I brought that up because that wasn't going to happen. If you get a raise, your boss isn't going to take a paycut to make it happen. The raise comes from the consumers.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago

We have RAM supply shortage.
Now better? god...