Having written about games and hardware for over a decade, believe me when I say an even slightly candid interview is a rare treat. As such, Kyle Hansen's live-streamed, down-to-earth chat with memory manufacturer Patriot's marketing manager Shannon Robb about all things system memory was a particular delight during CES 2026.
As entertaining as Robb and Hansen's well-established rapport is, the full 40-minute interview is also eye-opening. For a start, while we already know AI is a big reason why we're experiencing a supply crisis, Robb eloquently communicates the sheer scale of the industry's hunger for memory. He puts it in stark terms for Hansen, "The AI companies bought, like, 40% of the wafer production. We're not even talking finished goods, like, packages—not even chips. They're just wafers."
