AI surge ‘bigger than the internet’ but with risk of major shake-out
Cisco’s CEO cautions that the rapid investment and hype around artificial intelligence today could resemble past tech bubbles, with disruption and consolidation ahead.
In a commentary highlighted by a BBC article, Cisco’s chief executive, Chuck Robbins, reportedly compared the current AI boom to the early dot-com bubble, suggesting that while AI’s long-term impact could be transformative, the market may also face a period of significant turbulence and ‘wreckage’ before durable winners emerge.
Robbins warned that massive capital flows into AI companies, many of which lack clear revenue paths, resemble past speculative cycles and could lead to sharp contractions or failures among weaker players in the tech ecosystem.
He also noted that productivity gains from AI may be real but come with job reshaping, security risks and economic disruptions along the way.
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