US Economy Is Now a ‘Levered Bet on AI,’ Lazard CEO Orszag Says

The growth in artificial intelligence and its boost to the stock market means the US economy has essentially become a heavy bet on the technology’s success, one of the country’s top investment bankers said.

“If you look at the sources of growth in the US, it is artificial intelligence and high-income consumers,” Lazard Inc. Chief Executive Officer Peter Orszag said on the “Bloomberg Deals” TV show. Those consumers, he added, are also benefiting from the AI-driven growth in equities.

“At this point, the US economy is a levered bet on AI,” he said in the interview airing Wednesday. “Like many ...