Jim Cramer says Big Tech cannot afford to be cheap on AI spending

Cloud computing giants cannot afford to pinch pennies on the artificial intelligence buildout, CNBC's Jim Cramer argued Wednesday. Cramer's comments came after he heard someone describe the rally in data center and AI-related stocks as an "if you build it, they will come" dynamic — the idea that companies are spending aggressively on infrastructure in hopes customers eventually materialize. However, Cramer said applying the famous phrase from the movie "Field of Dreams" to the AI boom misses a crucial point: The customers already exist, and the cloud providers racing to keep up with demand. "The whole point of this data center rally is that it's not a fairy tale, because the data centers are being built and the customers really are coming" the " Mad Money " host said. "They are on the playing field. They are in the seats ... and the momentum is building for every seat to be filled." He pointed to Amazon and its cloud business, Amazon Web Services, as evidence that the AI buildout is no longer speculative . Amazon has committed to spend about $200 billion in capital expenditures this year, most of which will go toward expanding data center capacity as competition intensifies among major cloud providers. "If you don't build the stadium, they are going elsewhere and you will leave a lot of money on the table," Cramer said, referencing comments from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy about the need to continue investing aggressively. …