AI Drives Significant Growth in U.S. Economy

Artificial intelligence is significantly contributing to the growth of the U.S. economy. According to ChainCatcher, investments in software and IT equipment driven by AI added 134 basis points to the GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 2.0% increase—the largest quarterly contribution in history. This indicates that 67% of the economic growth in the previous quarter was fueled by AI. Without AI-driven technology investments, GDP growth for the first quarter would have been nearly flat. This contribution surpasses the previous record set in 1999 by approximately 10 basis points. Over the past five quarters, investments in software and IT equipment have averaged a contribution of 90 basis points per quarter, the highest recorded for any consecutive five-quarter period. The U.S. economy is increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence.