AutomobilesUS, Japan firms scramble for supply as chipmakers focus on artificial intelligenceGM, Ford and others recently signed agreements with U.S. memory maker Micron Technology to secure supply. (Source photos by Reuters and GM)Nikkei staff writersJuly 23, 2026 01:48 JSTTOKYO -- Spiking memory prices, driven by artificial intelligence investments, have pushed up costs for automakers worldwide and raised the specter of price hikes for new vehicles.