ECB chief economist Lane said in a Financial Times interview that financing for AI projects accounts for roughly one quarter of euro-area corporate bank loan growth. He said credit creation across 21 euro-area members has remained resilient despite higher rates and an oil-price shock. Lane estimated corporate loan annual growth would be about 3% without AI lending versus roughly 4% currently, while noting AI’s overall share of the economy remains small. He reiterated a preference for more equity

ECB chief economist Lane said in a Financial Times interview that financing for AI projects accounts for roughly one quarter of euro-area corporate bank loan growth. He said credit creation across 21 euro-area members has remained resilient despite higher rates and an oil-price shock. Lane estimated corporate loan annual growth would be about 3% without AI lending versus roughly 4% currently, while noting AI’s overall share of the economy remains small. He reiterated a preference for more equity rather than debt financing to allow native AI firms to scale faster.