Allbirds’ Shift Toward AI Sparks Debate Over Familiar Tech Bubble Patterns

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:15:00 +0200

The article discusses the unusual strategic pivot by Allbirds, the San Francisco-based footwear company known for its eco-friendly wool running shoes, as it moves into artificial intelligence computing infrastructure. This shift has drawn attention from financial markets and tech commentators due to the sharp and volatile reaction it triggered. Following the announcement, Allbirds’ stock reportedly surged by 582% in a single day before falling again shortly afterward, reflecting heightened speculation and instability in investor sentiment.

The piece places this event in a broader historical context, comparing it to previous periods of speculative excess in the tech industry. It draws parallels to the dot-com bubble era of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when companies with minimal underlying business strength experienced massive valuation increases simply by associating themselves with the internet. Examples such as Pets.com and Webvan are referenced as cautionary tales of companies t