(FILES) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors' "Integrated Review of the Capital Framework for Large Banks Conference" at the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2025. The staggering investments in artificial intelligence keep coming: In September 2025, AI chip giant Nvidia announced it would invest $100 billion to help OpenAI, the frontrunner in generative AI, build data centers. AI-related spending is soaring worldwide, expected to reach approximately $1.5 trillion by 2025, according to US research firm Gartner, and over $2 trillion in 2026 -- nearly 2 percent of global GDP. Feeding AI's computing appetite will cost up to $500 billion annually in global data center investments through 2030, requiring $2 trillion in annual revenues to make the expenses viable, according to consulting firm Bain & Company. Even under optimistic assumptions, Bain estimates the AI industry faces an $800 billion deficit. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)