Singapore Financial Regulator Sounds Alarm on AI Valuations
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued a stark warning about inflated valuations in the artificial intelligence sector, cautioning that current market conditions could expose investors to significant corrections. In its annual Financial Stability Review, the regulator highlighted that equity markets are seeing “relatively stretched valuations concentrated in the technology and AI sectors.”
Opaque Financing Structures Raise Concerns
The MAS specifically called out “novel and potentially circular private financing arrangements” being used by major technology firms to fund their expansions. These include special purpose vehicles, private credit structures, and unconventional accounting treatments that could mask leverage and increase funding dependencies.
“Some Big Tech firms have turned to the use of novel and potentially circular private financing arrangements to fund their expansions,” the MAS wrote, emphasizing that these structures could amplify risks across the financial system.
AI Valuation Frenzy: Echoes of Dot-Com Bubble
The warning comes as AI companies continue to achieve staggering valuations. OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, recently reached a $500 billion valuation and is reportedly targeting $1 trillion ahead of a potential 2026 IPO. Meanwhile, Anthropic has nearly tripled its value since March, soaring from $60 billion to $170 billion.
Expert Analysis: Bubble Concerns vs. Real Potential
Jordi Alexander, CEO of trading firm Selini Capital, told Decrypt that questions about an AI bubble are “fair to ask” given the current market conditions. “With the game-altering productivity gains from AI expected still in the distant horizon, questions of a temporary AI bubble are fair to ask,” he said.
Nirav Murthy, co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Network, agreed that valuations have outpaced fundamentals. “We’re in a phase where capital intensity, circular deal structures, and opaque accounting can make growth look inevitable when it’s really just well-financed,” he told Decrypt.
Intellectual Property Risks Loom Large
Murthy also highlighted unresolved intellectual property disputes as a significant risk factor for the sector. “We’re seeing models trained on questionable datasets, rights disputes kicked down the road, and legal risk treated as a line item,” he warned, emphasizing that durable profits require “rights-clean, clearly licensed, provenance-verified data as core infrastructure.”
Market Implications and Future Outlook
Despite the concerns, experts note that parts of the AI ecosystem—particularly chipmakers and major platforms—remain fundamentally profitable. However, the MAS warning suggests that investors should approach AI investments with caution, particularly given the sector’s heavy concentration in global equity markets.
Murthy concluded that if investor sentiment cools, “the pain will show first in long-duration equities and private credit linked to data-center buildouts,” suggesting that the next phase of AI growth must be “earned with real unit economics” rather than speculative financing.
