The massive capital expenditure for AI infrastructure will not primarily come from traditional unsecured corporate credit. Instead, a specialized form of private credit known as asset-based finance (ABF) is expected to provide over $800 billion of the required $1.5 trillion in external funding.

Unlike prior tech revolutions funded mainly by equity, the AI infrastructure build-out is increasingly reliant on debt. This blurs the line between speculative growth capital (equity) and financing for predictable cash flows (debt), magnifying potential losses and increasing systemic failure risk if the AI boom falters.

The AI industry and the US government both require trillions in funding. This creates a paradox: the more successful AI becomes, the more it erodes the white-collar tax base by automating jobs, forcing the Treasury to borrow even more and intensifying the competition for scarce capital.

For the first time in years, leading-edge tech is incredibly expensive. This requires structured finance and massive capital, bringing Wall Street back to the table after being sidelined by cash-rich tech giants. The chaos and expense of AI create a new, lucrative playground for financiers.

The massive ~$1.5 trillion in debt financing required for AI infrastructure will create a supply glut in the investment-grade (IG) bond market. This technical pressure, despite solid company fundamentals, makes IG bonds less attractive. High-yield (HY) bonds are favored as they don't face this supply headwind and default rates are expected to fall.

A primary market risk is a sudden stop in the AI investment cycle. While this would clearly pressure equities, it could counter-intuitively benefit investment-grade credit by reducing new bond issuance—the main factor forecast to widen spreads.

The AI boom's funding is pivoting from free cash flow to massive bond issuances. This hands control to credit investors who, unlike vision-driven equity investors, have shorter time horizons and lower risk appetites. Their demand for tangible near-term impact will now dictate the market's risk perception for AI companies.

SoftBank selling its NVIDIA stake to fund OpenAI's data centers shows that the cost of AI infrastructure exceeds any single funding source. To pay for it, companies are creating a "Barbenheimer" mix of financing: selling public stock, raising private venture capital, securing government backing, and issuing long-term corporate debt.

Barclays forecasts a 40% jump in net investment-grade debt supply in 2026, driven by tech sector CapEx and renewed M&A activity. This massive influx of new bonds will test market demand and could lead to wider credit spreads, even if economic fundamentals remain stable.