Alphabet Executive Says AI’s Benefits Depend on Managing Its Risks

Alphabet plans to keep expanding its artificial-intelligence infrastructure, but President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat said realizing AI’s benefits requires addressing risks tied to energy use, responsible deployment and the labor transition.

Porat made the comments Oct. 12 at the Most Powerful Women Summit. Alphabet’s official 2026 capital-expenditure outlook remains $180 billion to $190 billion, while its investor presentation says spending will increase significantly in 2027.

A roughly $200 billion estimate for Alphabet’s 2026 AI-capacity spending was tied to Porat’s remarks, but the figure has not been confirmed as a change to the company’s official guidance. Alphabet has not disclosed an official dollar amount for its 2027 capital expenditures.

The spending is intended to expand capacity for Alphabet’s AI products and customer demand. The company’s previous AI spending outlook described an infrastructure buildout expected to continue into 2027.

Alphabet’s 2025 Form 10-K identified servers, networking equipment and data centers as areas of increased investment, driven in part by demand for AI. The company’s disclosures also point to continued expansion of the computing capacity needed to support its products and customers.

Porat said AI’s downside risks require cooperation between the public and private sectors. She identified safe and responsible use, the technology’s energy implications and tools to support workers during the labor transition as areas needing attention.

In separate remarks, Porat said AI’s rapid development creates clear downside risk and that failing to address those risks would limit society’s ability to realize the technology’s benefits.