Altman says RAM is better used in data centers than in personal PCs

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an interview, reported by The Verge on October 30, 2026, that it is "terrible" for the world's limited supply of DRAM to sit in personal computers instead of data centers. He made the remarks on the Cheeky Pint podcast when asked about supply chain shortages, including the ongoing RAM shortage.

Altman said many people want local AI inference and assume that open-source models running on their own machines will remove the need for large data-center capacity. He argued that from a global allocation standpoint, it makes more sense to pool memory in the cloud, saying that memory sitting in personal computers is "being used five percent of the time." He said maximum utilization in the cloud is the better approach in a supply-constrained environment.

The Verge reports that memory makers Samsung and SK Hynix have long-term deals with cloud operators and with projects such as OpenAI's Stargate, which have reserved much of the world's RAM output over the next few years. The outlet links those commitments to higher prices for laptops, phones and other consumer devices. Separately, the same site reports that Samsung expects the shortage to last until at least 2028, and SK Hynix says it will last through 2030.

The article does not give the date the podcast was recorded, and it does not say how Altman arrived at his utilization figure. It also does not report whether OpenAI has made new allocation commitments beyond the existing supply deals. These remarks are Altman's stated view of the trade-off, and the report contains no further response from OpenAI.