Goldman Sachs flags power and compute as two chokepoints in the AI boom
The note points investors toward the physical layer of the AI trade, with access to high-voltage power now a tighter constraint than the capital to buy chips. That favours operators that have already secured grid capacity, and it suggests power availability, more than chip supply, could set the pace of new data centre builds through 2027. In software, budgets moving toward data and cybersecurity point to a widening gap between foundational platforms and application vendors, whose pricing models could come under pressure as agents replace human users. The emphasis on core platform returns also implies investors may reward proven monetisation of compute over speculative new revenue lines.
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In Goldman’s reading of the AI boom, money can…