Why Billions in AI Investment Can Be a Pitfall for Some Companies

U.S. companies have spent upwards of $40 billion on AI investments, and 95 percent have seen zero monetary return, according to one study.

Photo illustration of a phone screen with AI logo, on May 16, 2025. Oleksii Pydsosonnii/The Epoch Times

The artificial intelligence (AI) gold rush has reached American businesses, but despite billions being spent, many companies aren’t seeing a return on their investment in the emerging technology.

The United States is the world’s leading investor in AI technologies. Tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have led the way in private sector investment and announced more than $100 billion in additional AI expenditures this year.