Can Enterprise AI Investments Become Self-Funding?

The AI infrastructure buildout is a massive bet on what businesses will pay for intelligence. Analyst Dave Vellante and former IDC president Crawford Del Prete examine whether enterprise AI can fund the boom. Early productivity gains are emerging in coding and customer service, but haven't yet shown up in broader economic numbers. Workflow automation is uneven, as individual tasks are being automated without restructuring how organizations operate. Anthropic's S-1 revealed 14x revenue growth in early 2026 to $16 billion, alongside $132 billion in liquid assets. Vellante pegs 2029 as the highest-risk year for a potential bubble.