The Bridge Ep. 23: Can AI Deliver Returns, Not Just Hype?

Everyone is talking about AI. But can the economics keep up with the hype?

Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, joins Sonali Basak to discuss how AI is reshaping markets, corporate spending, entrepreneurship, and the broader economy.

As higher interest rates force investors to focus on revenue, profits, and cash flow, Slok argues that the key question is no longer whether demand for AI exists, but whether companies can generate returns that justify the unprecedented capital being deployed.

Key topics include:

• Why AI exposure extends far beyond technology stocks, including into fixed income
• How higher-for-longer rates are complicating the AI trade
• Why the next AI winners may be adopters, not builders
• The bullish case for AI's impact on jobs and entrepreneurship
• Why manager selection matters more than ever in private credit

His central message: as AI spending shapes changing interest rates, it is becoming one of the most important forces shaping markets and the broader economy.