BCG estimates the AI ecosystem needs $2.6 trillion a year by 2030

A new BCG analysis says enterprises would have to carry most of the cost of data centers, chips, and model development Artificial intelligence has a bill coming due, and someone has to pay it. According to a BCG Institute analysis, the AI ecosystem will need about $2.6 trillion in annual end-market spending by 2030. That figure is meant to cover data centers, chips, model development, and returns for investors. It is the amount customers would need to spend each year for the whole buildout to make economic sense. The report is titled “Who Will Pay the $2.6 Trillion AI Infrastructure Bill?” BCG’s answer: mostly businesses. Breaking down the $2.6 trillion Enterprises carry the largest share by far. BCG estimates they would account for $1.8 trillion of the annual total. Consumers come in a distant second at $366 billion. That covers individuals paying for AI products directly, from chatbot subscriptions to AI features built into devices and apps. Hyperscalers, the giant cloud operators that build and run most of this infrastructure, would account for $204 billion through their own internal use. The final slice is $200 billion for emerging technologies, with physical AI named as an exa...