The hype around artificial intelligence once centered on raw computing power. Nvidia’s processors delivered that in spades. Yet months into 2026, a different constraint has taken center stage. Data movement now eats up more time and energy than the calculations themselves. This shift marks a pivotal turn. Memory shortages, storage demands and electricity supply have become the real brakes on AI expansion. Early AI data centers packed in GPUs. Operators soon discovered they had badly underestimated needs for fast access memory and long-term storage. The result? Prices have climbed sharply. Companies pay premiums that would make ordinary consumers flinch. And suppliers stand nearly sold out for the next year or longer. The Motley Fool laid out the numbers in late May. Micron Technology saw net income more than triple year-over-year on 74 percent revenue growth for its February-ending quarter. Memory prices had already jumped about 40 percent year-to-date and 240 percent over the prior 12 months.…