RenMac Off-Script: AI's Reality Check*

Ramp's Ara Kharazian joins RenMac to unpack what actual corporate spending data reveals about the AI boom, including why 1% of companies account for 80% of enterprise AI spending and why rising usage isn't translating into higher spending or broad productivity gains. The team discusses evidence that intensive AI adopters are growing employment rather than replacing workers, how competition between OpenAI and Anthropic is driving prices lower, and what that means for valuations and the massive infrastructure buildout. They also examine the inflationary implications of AI investment, emerging divisions within the semiconductor and software trades, and widening credit spreads beneath an equity market still near its highs. Check out Ara here: https://substack.com/@arakharazianSubscribe to our newsletter: https://go.renmac.com/newsletterRequest a trial of our research (for professional money managers): https://start.renmac.com/trialSign up for our research (for individual investors): https://renmacaccess.com/Get merch at https://renmacmerch.comTimestamps0:00 – Welcome, Disclaimer & Intro1:41 – Meet Ara Kharazian: Ramp AI Index4:40 – Corporate AI Spending & Adoption Trends9:04 – AI Spending: The Top 1% vs. the Median Firm10:34 – AI Adoption Across Industries13:15 – AI’s Impact on Employment & Hiring19:14 – AI Productivity & Return on Investment21:38 – Where Businesses Are Investing in AI24:38 – AI Valuations & Market Expectations25:41 – Cracks in the AI Thesis: Slowing Spending Growth26:46 – OpenAI vs. Anthropic: Competition & Pricing29:50 – AI Stocks, Semiconductors & Software32:16 – AI Data Centers & Washington Policy34:11 – Is AI Spending Inflationary or Deflationary?40:37 – Mailbag: Crypto vs. Equities44:54 – Week Ahead: Washington & Geopolitical Risks46:28 – CPI, PPI & the Fed Outlook49:19 – Ramp AI Index: Token Usage & Spending50:47 – Will AI Become a Commodity?54:54 – Bank Earnings, Credit Spreads & Market Risks56:54 – Treasury Demand & U.S. Fiscal Concerns58:03 – U.S. vs. Europe: Rising Interest Rates59:36 – Closing Remarks