Fed's Daly: If AI, tariffs and energy shocks persist, further rate hikes may be needed

BlockBeats news, October 7 — San Francisco Fed President Daly said that chip demand driven by the AI boom could spread from high-end AI chips to the broader semiconductor market, with some companies already beginning to lock in memory chip supply in advance and even redesigning products to reduce chip usage.

She believes that the price pressure brought by this round of AI may not be a one-time shock, and the time needed to ease it could exceed the one to three years the Fed typically assumes.

Daly said she fully supports the Fed's September rate hike, and whether further action is needed will depend on whether shocks such as AI, tariffs, and higher energy prices caused by Middle East conflicts can fade; if these factors persist longer or reinforce one another, further tightening may be needed, but if the shocks are only temporary, there may be no need to continue raising rates.