Framework founder says there's a chance 'personal computing as we know it is dead'

Framework Computing, a hardware maker focused on releasing modular and upgradeable gear, has issued a statement saying the current memory crisis driven by the AI industry could have a devastating effect on the consumer PC market. Interestingly, this warning arrived with an announcement and blog post about the Framework Next Gen Event, scheduled for April 21.

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"We've spent the last six years in Framework proving that it's possible to build high-performance, thin, light computers that last longer and respect your rights through repairability, upgradeability, and customization," Framework CEO Nirav Patel writes in the post. "We're happy to see repair rapidly becoming the norm rather than the exception, with even Apple of all companies embracing it on their latest notebook. I built this company specifically to reset and fix a broken industry. So, mission accomplished? Not quite. There is a very real scenario in which personal computing as we know it is dead."

Saying that personal computing, as we know it, could die is definitely alarming, since Framework sources all the memory, storage, and other components for its devices. So this comment is based on the current situation, which Nirav Patel describes as an AI arms race with the ultimate goal of metering access to compute "by the token."

Basically, the Netflix-ification of PCs, where owning hardware, whether that's a PC or laptop, will become a luxury versus renting or paying for cloud computing access. And with memory and storage makers prioritizing AI companies and data centers versus consumer-facing products, we could be seeing this play out right now.

"The computer in the cloud has increasingly greater economic output than the computer in the hand," Nirav Patel adds. "This means that to the extent that there are constraints on the supply that feeds both, the cloud will win every time. We see this in the rapidly rising costs of silicon and all of the devices that depend on it, the shift from ownership to subscription, and the rise of closed black boxes over an open ecosystem. What does this all mean? The industry is asking you to own nothing and be happy."

And with that, Framework is prepping to unveil new products at its Next Gen Event on April 21 in San Francisco.