Syracuse, NY — At this point, I’m sure most of you have heard of ChatGPT, but its eye-popping features are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to artificial intelligence, says Micron Technology’s CEO. Sanjay Melotra said in Syracuse on Friday.
According to Mehrotra, AI’s projected growth should boost the business of Micron, a leading manufacturer of computer memory chips.
“This will change the world, guess what? Without data there would be no artificial intelligence, so memory will be central to it,” he said. “More data means sharper, better, more meaningful insights. And more data means more memory.”
This demand will help the memory and storage business grow faster than the rest of the semiconductor industry in the coming years, he added.
Mehrotra is in Syracuse announcing a new board to help guide Micron’s investments and serve the community.
Idaho-based Micron last year announced plans to spend $100 billion over the next 20 years to build four large chip manufacturing plants in Cray. When fully built, the site will employ 9,000 people.
The company recently began excavating the site to initiate the necessary environmental studies. Drilling was the first visible step in the project.
Mehrotra said the Clay facility will supply billions of memory chips when completed. In addition to AI applications, chips are being used in everything from mobile phones and laptops to cars and missile systems.
Mehrotra and other Micron officials have remained optimistic about future demand for memory and the company’s prospects, despite the current slowdown in the semiconductor industry.
The slowdown prompted the company to announce earlier this year that it would cut its workforce by 15%. Micron has approximately 49,000 employees. A 15% reduction equals approximately 7,300 jobs.
Executives are also taking pay cuts.
Companies such as Micron are facing the problem of declining demand for their products as sales of devices using their products are slowing.
But Micron leaders have repeatedly said the current recession won’t affect the company’s plans for projects in downtown New York. The plant being built here is aimed at meeting future demand, they said.
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