The core of AI competition has shifted.
From model capability to infrastructure buildout, where private capital, not government, is the principal driver.
Even with concerns about an AI bubble, investment in data centre infrastructure is projected to reach US$7 trillion by 2030.
This brief argues that the key question is not who invents the most advanced AI, but where it is built, who finances it, and under whose terms it can be deployed at scale: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/who-builds-wins-the-trillion-dollar-contest-for-ai-infrastructure
orfonline.org
Who Builds, Wins: The Trillion-Dollar Contest for AI Infrastructure
August 31, 2026 450 1 1
