Apple and Microsoft have announced significant price increases across some of their most popular products, blaming a rapid and unprecedented surge in the cost of memory chips driven by the global expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The moves mark one of the most visible moments yet in which the AI boom has translated into direct costs for everyday consumers.

Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, raised prices across its MacBook and iPad lines on Thursday. In the United States, the base MacBook Air now starts at $1,299, up from $1,099, while the entry-level MacBook Pro rose from $1,699 to $1,999. The iPad Air climbed from $599 to $749, and the high-end Mac Studio desktop jumped sharply from $3,999 to $5,299. A smaller, more affordable laptop called the MacBook Neo — marketed when it launched earlier this year as Apple's