2026-01-09 05:27:59

How big is AI really? Looking at these historical data points makes it clear.

In 1949, during the US electricity普及, investment accounted for 0.6% of GDP. During the 1960s moon landing and highway system construction, the investment share was also 0.6%. Fast forward to 2000, during the internet broadband era, the investment share rose to 1.2%.

Now, in 2025, capital expenditures by major tech companies (mostly directed towards AI) account for 1.9% of US GDP.

Looking at it from another perspective, what does this mean? Using the US as the most mature and advanced capital market globally as a reference, this wave of AI capital投入规模 has already surpassed electricity普及, space exploration, infrastructure建设, and even the internet revolution. The super工程 in human history—from power grids to highways to the internet—has never attracted such a large influx of capital. AI is truly different this time.

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HashBandit

· 7h ago

ngl this hits different when u realize the power consumption alone will dwarf my gpu mining days lmao... like 1.9% of us gdp? that's insane capital velocity into compute... wonder if the actual roi math even works out or if we're just watching the biggest bubble get inflated rn tbh

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PerpetualLonger

· 01-09 05:51

As soon as this data came out, I knew it was time to go all-in. 1.9%, everyone. Isn't this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Power, moon landing, the internet—all of them didn't have this scale. Why am I still hesitating? I've already tripled my position, holding steady. I don't believe this AI bull market will turn back...

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GasWaster69

· 01-09 05:48

1.9%, this number is really shocking, it feels like tech companies have gone crazy Is AI really worth that much, or is it just another bubble No, internet is only 1.2%? Was investment not as aggressive back then? If this trend continues, how much needs to be invested in the next decade This time, we really need to produce something worthy of this investment A classic example of fools with too much money, hoping AI can make a difference Electricity penetration is only 0.6%, which is indeed outrageous by comparison, and the current AI gamble is ridiculously large

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DeFiGrayling

· 01-09 05:43

1.9% directly breaks the record, feels like a bubble is coming The AI arms race is really crazy, just throwing money at it Wait, is this data real? Feels a bit exaggerated Our generation is truly witnessing history But all the money is poured into AI, how will other industries survive?

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0xDreamChaser

· 01-09 05:30

Haha, these numbers are indeed shocking, 1.9%, hitting harder than a moon landing. AI is really about to change the world, no kidding. How long can this wave of capital frenzy last? I'm a bit worried. Wait, who will ultimately get all this money... Should have gone all in on AI a long time ago.

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CodeAuditQueen

· 01-09 05:29

Numbers look intimidating, but you have to ask how much of the 1.9% is truly used for training rather than hype. Historically, super projects have at least produced tangible results; AI? Besides tokens and text, what else is there?

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