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SanDisk CEO predicts AI architecture will generate 75 to 100 exabytes of incremental NAND demand by 2027
Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 10:56 AM
SanDisk projects that innovations in AI architecture will drive significant growth in NAND flash memory demand. According to internal projections, incremental demand could reach between 75 and 100 exabytes starting in 2027 as AI-integrated devices ramp up in volume.
Context
In a forward-looking projection for the storage industry, Western Digital (which owns the SanDisk brand) expects a significant surge in demand driven by the next generation of AI hardware. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra stated that early analysis of AI architecture innovations suggests they could add 75 to 100 exabytes of incremental NAND demand starting around 2027. This forecast is based on increasing penetration rates per device and the anticipated ramp of AI-integrated hardware sales, marking a critical expansion of the total addressable market for flash storage.
This growth arrives amid a tightening market, with reports from January 2026 indicating that an acute storage chip crunch has pushed DRAM and NAND prices up by as much as 70%. As hyperscalers and enterprises shift toward high-capacity enterprise SSDs (eSSDs) to support AI inference, Western Digital is positioning itself as a primary infrastructure provider. The company, which recently entered the Nasdaq 100, is leveraging its BiCS 8 technology and a clear path toward 100TB+ drives to capitalize on this multi-year demand cycle.
Sources (12)
[PDF] Micron Technology, Inc. Fiscal Q4 2025 Earnings Call Prepared ...Western Digital Accelerates Storage Innovation for AI Era | WDAI storage chip crunch in 2026: DRAM, NAND prices surge up to 70%NAND Flash Capacity Continues to Grow - EE TimesMU - Micron Technology Inc Earnings Call Transcripts - MorningstarMicron cuts DRAM and NAND production .. ...Earnings call transcript: Western Digital beats Q2 2026 expectations, stock rises By Investing.comSanDisk to double price of 3D NAND for enterprise SSDs in Q1 2026 — hyperscalers to pay top dollar for storage as AI continues to roll | Tom's Hardware
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