The artificial-intelligence boom is monopolizing high-end ceramic capacitors, or MLCCs--the tiny components vital for power stabilization--driving supplier backlogs to post-pandemic highs, according to research firm TrendForce. Growing concerns over potential supply shortages in late 2026 have already prompted consumer electronics makers like Apple to begin inventory preparations up to two months early, it says. Meanwhile, the focus of companies like Intel and AMD on AI processors has squeezed conventional PC supplies, forcing manufacturers into costly, urgent spot orders, TrendForce says. As top Japanese and Korean suppliers focus exclusively on high-end AI demand, TrendForce expects Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers to step in and capture the consumer market spillover. (jie.yang@wsj.com)