Elon Musk wrote on X that the RAM requirements for robots "will exceed everything else on Earth," because robots must exist on physical substrates to model atoms. In the midst of the memory crisis, such a statement sounds like a new alarm for PC buyers. The post is a response to an analysis by Zephyr, which in turn refers to research from Counterpoint Research, and the tone remains deliberately provocative.
The Counterpoint research, picked up by P Equity Research, estimates that the DRAM required by humanoid robot "brains" will grow from the current 8,300 terabits to approximately 172,000 terabits by 2030, a nearly twentyfold increase. Musk adds that artificial general intelligence will have even greater requirements, but that "about 100%" of that computation will take place in deep space. Regarding the space aspect, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla remains in the realm of his visions rather than data.
However, a comparison with the current market puts the alarm into perspective. Global DRAM demand is estimated to be around 40 exabytes, equivalent to about 320 million terabits. According to calculations by PC Gamer, the 172,000 terabits projected for robots in 2030 correspond to approximately 0.05% of current capacity. Even if robotic demand were to multiply, it would remain a minimal share compared to that absorbed by AI data centers, which remain the true driver of memory scarcity.
This point is also important for pricing. In recent months, the RAM shortage has driven up the cost of many components, and there is fear that a new major consumer could prolong the crisis. But the same sources indicate that, to truly impact the market, robots would need to be powered by much larger infrastructures than those currently envisioned—a transition that depends more on the AI bubble than on robotics.
In short, the question remains open. If demand from AI data centers slows down, or if manufacturers manage to increase capacity, the effect of robots on memory will be even smaller. For now, what is truly weighing on PC prices is the data center race, not the forecasts for robots.
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