Wall Street might be wondering if the “AI trade” is running out of steam, but corporate America clearly hasn’t gotten the memo.
Companies in Goldman’s AI equity basket have already issued $141 billion in new debt this year. With Google, Meta, and Microsoft all raising CapEx on recent earnings calls, that number will only keep rising.
Why? Because people are using AI, investors are rewarding it, and it provides a new growth opportunity that companies are quickly trying to corner and take advantage of.
In fact, according to a new Wharton survey of 800 business leaders at companies with more than 1,000 employees, almost everyone is using AI now. A staggering 82% of executives now use generative AI weekly — up from 37% last year — and nearly half use it every day.
And it’s not just companies embracing AI. From boardrooms to living rooms, more people are turning to AI tools — not just to boost productivity, but to make real-life decisions, including financial ones. As noted a few weeks ago, a recent Pearl.com survey found that nearly 1 in 5 Americans lost over $100 after following financial advice from an AI chatbot.
That gap between usefulness and understanding is where professionals still matter most.