Investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure will average 3.63% of annual U.S. GDP from 2025 to 2032, according to analysis from the Brookings Institution. Total spending on data centers and supporting AI systems will reach $10.3 trillion over that period, making it the largest single-industry expansion in the history of the U.S. economy, based on reports from the Wall Street Journal.

This cycle outpaces all previous historic infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the railroad system, which averaged 2.24% of GDP between 1870 and 1890. Other benchmarks include the national highway system at 1.13% and telecommunications at 1.1%, while data center spending alone now exceeds the combined expenditure of 19th-century canals and the electric grid.