Hold onto your hoodies, tech nerds – San Francisco’s office market is doing something wild. Despite looking like a ghost town, demand for office space is absolutely exploding, and it’s all thanks to our favorite buzzword: AI.

According to recent data from real estate software company VTS, office demand in the city has skyrocketed 112% from last quarter. The tech sector is going especially bananas, with a mind-blowing 378% year-over-year increase in office hunting.

The AI Gold Rush Continues

Most of this demand is coming from venture-backed AI companies, which are basically throwing money around like confetti. San Francisco has already crushed its yearly startup funding record, and these techbros are hungry for primo real estate with killer views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not Quite a Comeback Yet

Before you start planning your return-to-office happy hour, calm down. About a third of the city’s office space remains vacant. Real estate experts say it’ll take years to truly recover from the pandemic’s gut punch.

The Real Estate Rollercoaster

Interestingly, not all buildings are created equal. Shiny, new spaces with amenities are hot commodities, while older, less sexy buildings might sit empty indefinitely. Landlords are still offering sweet deals to entice tenants, proving we’re still very much in a renter’s market.

So while San Francisco might look like a deserted tech playground right now, the numbers suggest a potential renaissance is brewing. AI might just be the unexpected hero in our city’s post-pandemic recovery story.