Brookfield Sees $7 Trillion AI Infrastructure Buildout Over Next Decade

Brookfield Wealth Solutions is positioning artificial intelligence infrastructure as a long-term real assets investment cycle tied to power generation, compute infrastructure, and connectivity demand.

Lorenzo Lorilla, Managing PartnerSpeaking on InvestmentNews, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Lorenzo Lorilla said the global AI infrastructure buildout could require roughly $7 trillion in capital over the next decade.

Lorilla said the scale of investment required would extend beyond traditional bank financing and involve public and private capital markets.

“We're very focused on the backbone of AI,” Lorilla said during the interview. “We're talking the power generation, the compute infrastructure and the connectivity.”

Brookfield has expanded its exposure to AI-linked infrastructure through investments across energy, real estate, and digital infrastructure. The company says it operates one of the world’s largest infrastructure and renewable power platforms, including data center, telecom tower, and fiber assets.

The comments come as investors increasingly shift attention toward the physical infrastructure supporting AI expansion rather than only semiconductor and software companies.

Electricity demand has become a central issue in the sector. Brookfield previously wrote that AI and electrification trends could drive a significant increase in global power consumption over the next decade.

That pressure is already reshaping where data centers are built and how infrastructure capital is deployed. New AI data centers are increasingly constrained by electricity availability and transmission access.

Contracted Cash Flows Become Core AI Investment Thesis

Lorilla said Brookfield’s investment approach centers on contracted and predictable cash flows tied to infrastructure assets.

“A lot of the investments we're focused on have one thing in common: contracted cash flows,” he said.

He added that the company is avoiding assumptions tied to long-term residual values or speculative future demand.

The approach reflects a broader shift among large asset managers toward infrastructure-backed AI exposure, particularly as utilities, grid operators, and energy developers increase spending tied to data center demand.

Reuters recently reported that U.S. utilities and energy infrastructure companies are raising capital expenditure plans in response to rising AI-related electricity demand.

AI infrastructure demand is also driving investment into alternative power systems and distributed energy models. Brookfield and fuel cell company Bloom Energy previously announced a $5 billion partnership tied to powering AI data centers.

Brookfield Pulls Back From Parts of Private Credit Market

During the interview, Lorilla also addressed conditions in private credit markets, particularly corporate direct lending.

He said Brookfield had exited parts of that market more than a year ago after observing what he described as aggressive lending behavior and compressed returns.

Instead, the firm remains focused on real asset credit tied to infrastructure, real estate, and asset-backed financing.

Lorilla also pointed to opportunities emerging from distressed office real estate and housing shortages in major U.S. cities. He said Brookfield sees lending opportunities tied to office-to-residential conversion projects where asset values have already reset lower.

The discussion reflects how AI infrastructure demand is increasingly intersecting with broader real estate and energy markets. Data center development is becoming more concentrated around regions with sufficient electricity capacity and transmission infrastructure, narrowing geographic expansion options across the industry.

Lorilla said volatility in financial markets could create investment opportunities for firms with available liquidity and long-term capital.

“We think volatility creates opportunity,” he said.