New Delhi: Meeting global AI demand by 2030 will require at least $2 trillion in annual revenue, a new Bain & Company report shows. Even with savings from AI, the world will still face an $800 billion shortfall.
The report estimates that AI compute needs could reach 200 gigawatts by 2030, with the US using half of that power. Even if companies moved all IT budgets to the cloud and reinvested AI-driven savings, funding would fall short. AI’s compute demand is growing more than twice as fast as Moore’s Law.
David Crawford, Bain’s Global Technology Practice chairman, said companies will need $500 billion in capital spending and $2 trillion in new revenue to meet AI demand. He also warned that the race between nations and tech providers could lead to overbuilds or shortages, requiring careful planning.
While leading firms have earned 10–25% profit gains from AI, most organizations are still experimenting and seeing only modest productivity improvements.
The report also highlights how tariffs, export rules, and sovereign AI policies are fragmenting global tech supply chains. Anne Hoecker, Bain’s technology head, called AI a strategic tool for economic growth, political influence, and national security.
