tech
February 23, 2026
The world is running out of hard drives: Artificial intelligence has 'eaten' all the stocks
The world's largest hard drive manufacturers, Seagate and Western Digital, have confirmed that their production capacities for the entire year 2026 have already been completely sold out. The reason for this unprecedented scenario is the boom in AI infrastructure, as giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are leasing every available unit of high-capacity memory.
TL;DR
- Seagate and Western Digital have sold out their hard drive production capacity through 2026.
- The demand is driven by AI infrastructure development by tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
- This situation will likely lead to empty shelves and increased prices for regular customers and medium-sized businesses.
- Major clients have already signed contracts for deliveries extending to 2027 and even 2028.
- Hard drives remain crucial for low-cost storage of vast data required for AI training, with manufacturers planning higher capacity drives.
- A shortage of DRAM memory and NAND flash chips is also anticipated, alongside potential processor and network equipment scarcity.
- Small and medium-sized businesses face significant challenges in refreshing server equipment due to market dominance by AI players.
- 2026 is projected to be a difficult year for data storage procurement with further price increases expected.
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