Artificial Intelligence drives global trade and infrastructure demand

artificial intelligence global trade data center infrastructure semiconductors computing power

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a primary driver of global trade, with demand for AI-related infrastructure—such as semiconductors and data transmission equipment—accounting for 76% of growth in the first quarter of 2026. This technological surge is outpacing the impact of geopolitical tensions and tariffs, pushing global connectedness to a record 25.8%.

The rapid expansion of AI is creating significant physical and economic challenges. Data centers are facing critical thermal management needs, leading companies like LG Electronics USA to partner with AIR Control Concepts to provide advanced cooling solutions for facilities exceeding 5 GW in capacity. Additionally, the intense competition for computing power, chips, and energy is driving up costs, which is expected to increase the prices of high-end mobile devices.

In the software sector, the aging infrastructure of the internet is being stressed by AI. Recent security vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, a widely used programming language, have prompted global warnings and temporary shutdowns of government websites in countries including the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Finland. Meanwhile, the scarcity of processing power has forced AI developers like Anthropic to seek massive computing capacity through multi-billion dollar agreements with competitors.

Entities

Anthropic · Claudio Katz · DHL · LG Electronics · LG Electronics USA · Microsoft · Natalia Rodríguez · Nvidia · OpenAI · xAI

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] LG's cooling technology can reduce annual energy expenditure by up to 30%. portalgeek.co
[○ 1 SOURCE] US hyper-scalers invested $217 billion in AI infrastructure in 2024. www.expansion.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 1.5 million out of 2.6 million web servers use vulnerable versions of PHP. newsonline.com.ar
[○ 1 SOURCE] Global connectedness reached a record level of 25.8%. mineriaenergia.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] AI-linked products accounted for 76% of trade growth in the first quarter of 2026. mineriaenergia.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] LG Electronics USA signed a long-term agreement with AIR Control Concepts for data center cooling. portalgeek.co
[○ 1 SOURCE] Anthropic entered a $45 billion agreement to lease computing power from xAI. www.expansion.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Global PC shipments decreased by 20.1% in the third quarter. publimicro.cl