AI Investment Will Hit 2% Of U.S. GDP This Year, Analyst Says—Nearing Defense Spending Levels - Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes

New analysis from TS Lombard shows the United States is on track to devote approximately 2% of gross domestic product to artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure in 2026, an investment well above that of any other major country that places it among the largest concentrated spending booms in modern U.S. history. 

TS Lombard, an economic research and investment strategy firm, predicts the U.S. will be responsible for more than 80% of an $800 billion global spend in the sector this year and that AI buildout is on track to surpass the Gilded Age’s so-called “Railway Mania” to become the biggest infrastructure project in US history.

Other estimates from Bridgewater Associates, Goldman Sachs and Lombard Odier also place projected AI infrastructure spending between $650 billion and $800 billion this year—equivalent to roughly 2% to 2.5% of the U.S. economy.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/06/05/artificial-intelligence-investment-will-hit-2-of-us-gdp-in-2026-analyst-says-nearing-defense-spending-levels/