The boom in capital expenditures related to generative artificial intelligence is generating lots of questions about whether it is sustainable. Coming up with definitive answers to them is something of a fool’s errand. Quantifying the size of the capex surge seems like a more productive endeavor — and one that may offer some hints as to its sustainability.
Even that is easier said than done. After spending the better part of three days making chart after chart after chart (a small sample of which I share here), I now know that there are many different ways to quantify the AI capex boom that lend themselves ...