Real AI demand estimated at ~$189B in 2026, over half from OpenAI and Anthropic
builderjaydub · x · 2026-10-18
Builderjaydub estimates $189B of genuine AI demand in 2026, derived from end-customer spending to avoid double-counting vendor financing. Breakdown: OpenAI + Anthropic $115B ($100B–$130B), enterprise AI services on cloud $25B, AI software seats $17B, other apps and labs' own revenue $15B, extra cloud spending pulled by AI $12B, devices bought because of AI $5B. Over half of demand comes from the labs, so OpenAI and Anthropic revenue figures deserve close attention.
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