# Apple CEO John Ternus calls memory chip shortage a crisis

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-10-17T15:14:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/apple-ceo-john-ternus-calls-memory-chip-shortage-a-crisis

## Summary

Apple’s new chief executive John Ternus told TIME that the shortage of memory chips is an "absolute crisis," warning that the constraint could push back shipments of the foldable iPhone Duo, priced from $1,999, to 2027. The comment comes amid broader concerns about semiconductor supply, with South Korean Finance Minister Lee Hyoung‑il telling the IMF/World Bank meetings that the semiconductor boom should last at least until 2027, even as stocks like SK Hynix and Nvidia have fallen.

Meta recently revised its commercial terms, removing the word "train" after criticism that the language would let the company scrape publisher sites for AI training. The change, effective Oct. 30, still allows content collection for advertising products, leaving publishing groups uneasy. Meanwhile, Replit announced that OpenAI’s models are now the default on its platform, citing cost and performance advantages, though users can still select Anthropic models. Anthropic released an internal report showing its junior technical staff share dropped from 21% to 14% and new junior hires fell from 27% to 9%, while 27% of employees said Claude boosted productivity.

Google co‑founder Sergey Brin hinted at "recursive self‑improvement" for Gemini 4 Argon, while a DeepMind safety report downplayed rapid AI‑driven research acceleration. Bill Gates is reportedly expanding his AI‑safety outreach, planning direct talks with CEOs. These developments illustrate the tug‑of‑war between optimism in AI hardware demand and caution over market bubbles and workforce impacts.

## Key points

- Apple CEO John Ternus labeled the memory chip shortage an "absolute crisis".
- Replit announced OpenAI models as default, citing cost and performance advantages over Anthropic.
- Anthropic's internal data shows junior technical staff fell from 21% to 14% and new junior hires from 27% to 9%.

## Why it matters

Memory shortages could delay flagship devices and constrain AI hardware, Replit's model switch may shift revenue away from Anthropic, and Anthropic's workforce shift signals growing AI automation impact on tech jobs.

## Sources

1. [10/18 AI Semiconductor Bubble Debate and the Conflict Between Apple, Meta, and Anthropic](https://note.com/g_news/n/n3609c7a0ddc0?hl=en) (note.com, 2026-10-17)

Part of the developing story: [Apple Navigates Global Memory Chip Crisis](https://digestai.news/thread/apple-tests-chinese-chips-amid-memory-shortages-ternus-says) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Apple CEO John Ternus calls memory chip shortage a crisis", 17 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/apple-ceo-john-ternus-calls-memory-chip-shortage-a-crisis

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