AI corners 80% of all global equity funding in March quarter

MUMBAI: Whether AI will get us all killed by the end of the decade is still a matter of debate, but funding into artificial intelligence continues to soar.In fact, it is only getting bigger. Global AI funding touched a whopping $226 billion in the March quarter this year. That’s almost 80% of all global equity funding, showed a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This pie stood at 41% in the year-ago period and at just about 15% in CY2022, explaining the pace at which investor dollars are chasing AI. American AI giants OpenAI and Anthropic have contributed to the bulk of this investment surge with their massive fundraises earlier this year. In March, OpenAI raised $122 billion at a post-money valuation of $852 billion while Anthropic bagged $30 billion in capital from investors in Feb at a valuation of $380 billion.Call it ironical or not but both Anthropic and OpenAI which are at the forefront of AI innovation have come under scrutiny for unethical practices. Earlier this week, Jacob Coxon, a researcher with Anthropic, quit the firm, raising concerns over the risks that come with the unfettered rise of AI. “They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives….the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” Coxon said on X.About 65% of AI equity funding has been cornered by foundation models and platforms in 2026 (Jan-Jun period), up from a mere 4% in 2022. “Investors are concentrating bets on the intelligence layer of the AI stack,” analysts at BCG said.