U.S. September CPI showed computers, peripherals and smart‑home assistant prices up 9.7% YoY—the largest annual gain since at least 2006—while software and accessories rose 28.4% YoY. The figures suggest surging AI compute and hardware demand may be lifting consumer‑tech costs, adding inflationary pressure beyond energy and housing and potentially complicating the Fed’s path back to a 2% inflation target.

2026-10-14

U.S. September CPI showed computers, peripherals and smart‑home assistant prices up 9.7% YoY—the largest annual gain since at least 2006—while software and accessories rose 28.4% YoY. The figures suggest surging AI compute and hardware demand may be lifting consumer‑tech costs, adding inflationary pressure beyond energy and housing and potentially complicating the Fed’s path back to a 2% inflation target.