AI: Study – $2.6 trillion tech debt due to AI boom
The AI boom of US tech giants is costing billions - and a large part of the bill has not yet appeared in the accounts. A study shows how high the debt actually is.
A study by Allianz Trade finds that the long-term debt of the eight leading US tech companies increased by 86% in one year. Their off-balance-sheet commitments, mainly for data centers, energy supply, and AI infrastructure, rose from $573 billion to around $2.6 trillion. When these commitments are considered, the actual debt burden of the companies increases by almost 150% on average, and their credit quality deteriorates by one to two rating levels.
The study's author, Alexander Hirt, warns that the risks are not yet fully priced in, and investors need to consider long-term infrastructure and supply contracts in their risk analysis.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
