Nikkei: US tech AI obligations jump 90% to $3.2T

A Nikkei report says US technology companies' AI-related obligations rose 90% over six months to $3.2 trillion, a figure the report frames as hidden AI debt. The "debt" label is contested because the total reportedly includes signed future-spending contracts, data-center leases, and power payments, not only borrowed money, and the contract terms are not detailed. The report's significance lies in the scale and rapid growth of commitments tied to AI infrastructure and in how much exposure may sit outside conventional debt measures.