OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Rising artificial intelligence demand is making everyday tech more expensive and one Central Florida school district is considering increasing its buying power for devices because of it.
The School District of Osceola County is expected to vote on updating its agreement with United Data Technologies (UDT), its computer vendor, during a school board meeting Tuesday evening.
The proposed change would shift the district from a fixed pricing model to an interim pricing process, a move aimed at keeping up with an increasingly volatile memory market.
At the heart of the issue is the RAM chip, a component found in nearly every computer and cellphone.
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Jorge Diaz, technology services manager at Quantum Computer Solutions, an IT service provider in Kissimmee not affiliated with the district, broke down what the chip actually does.
“Well, our RAM chip is basically a memory chip. It is what holds the information while you’re working on your system,” Diaz said.
He tells News 6 that without it, devices simply do not function.
“If you remove the RAM from this thing, it will do nothing,” he said.
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As AI technology continues to evolve, its demand for RAM chips has surged, squeezing supply for everyone else.
“[The] reasoning is just because AI needs a lot of RAM. So, they’re basically getting the first dibs at it, if you want to put it that way. And the rest of us are kind of sitting in the back end and waiting to get the leftovers,” Diaz said.
For a district of Osceola County’s size, it could be pricey. All schools in the district operate a 1-to-1 laptop and device program for students, and roughly 80,000 students are currently enrolled.
According to information UDT provided to the district, a low-end workforce device for education that cost $225 in October 2025 is projected to cost more than $500 by October 2026.
“Yes, whatever [the district] paid for before is going to be at least 30% more than what they did as far as replacing those devices,” he said.
If approved, the district and UDT would temporarily move away from fixed pricing until the market stabilizes, at which point both parties would return to the original pricing structure.
The Osceola County School Board will meet Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.