America’s AI boom may yet remake its industrial base
— By The Editorial Board
Manufacturing profits reached a five-year high of $773 billion in Q1 2026, up 13% year on year, even as real GDP growth slowed to 1.72%, reinforcing the case that capital spending in selected sectors is outpacing the broader economy. Citing AI infrastructure, data centers, tax incentives, and deregulation, economist Steve Moore argues the U.S. is entering an extended industrial upswing that could drive as much as $7 trillion in investment over 25 years, though the scale of the forecast remains contingent on whether current growth reflects durable productive expansion or a more fragile, deficit-supported cycle.
Tags: #industrial-boom, #us-economy, #ai-investment, #data-centers, #manufacturing, #steve-moore