Amazon intends to allocate approximately $100 billion toward AI by 2025.

      AWS sign-in at Javitz Center NYC. Fionna Agomuoh / Digital Trends

      Amazon invested $26.3 billion in capital expenditures during Q4 of 2024, which CEO Andy Jassy indicated is "reasonably representative" of what the company intends to spend quarterly in 2025. He mentioned that the "vast majority" of this expenditure will likely be directed towards Amazon Web Services and AI development.

      This announcement coincides with a significant effort by almost all major players in the AI sector to heavily invest in AI for the upcoming year. Earlier this week, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai informed investors that Google aims to allocate approximately $75 billion for AI capital expenditures this year, while Meta plans to spend between $60 billion and $65 billion. Microsoft is set to commit $80 billion to AI capital expenditures in 2025.

      In December, Amazon disclosed a partnership with Anthropic, the creator of the Claude large language model, to train the next generation of LLMs using its newly launched Trainium2 processors. To facilitate this, Amazon is building a data center that will house hundreds of thousands of these chips. According to Jassy, the company intends to unveil the Trainium2’s successor, Trainium3, later this year.

      "We're all learning from each other," Jassy remarked regarding competition among companies on Thursday. "You've seen and will continue to see a lot of leapfrogging among us."

      These investments come as the U.S. AI industry grapples with the release of DeepSeek, an AI that matches the performance of OpenAI’s top reasoning models at a significantly lower cost and energy requirement. Although Amazon’s stock has risen 40% over the last year, its value fell by 4% after Thursday's earnings call.

      Andrew Tarantola is a journalist with over a decade of experience reporting on emerging technologies, including robotics and machine intelligence.

      Google’s “Ask for Me” to have an AI schedule your next oil change

      Google introduced a new experimental AI feature available to a select group of users on Thursday. Named "Ask for Me," this AI will search for pricing and appointment availability for local businesses and automatically make reservations for you, although it currently only functions for nail salons and auto repair shops.

      Accessible through Google Search Labs, Ask for Me activates when users search for either nail salons or auto repair locations. For instance, if you need a mechanic, the feature will ask you questions regarding the service required, the make and model of your vehicle, and your availability before contacting the shop. Additionally, you will need to provide your contact details (phone number and email) so that the AI can keep you updated on its progress.

      The U.S. has finally set boundaries on AI image copyright

      Although AI-generated artwork may win awards at state fairs, it is not protected by American copyright law, according to new guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) issued on Wednesday.

      The report outlines how AI-generated videos, images, and text may or may not be subject to copyright protection. It concludes that while generative AI is a novel technology, its outputs primarily fall under existing copyright laws, meaning there is no need for new legislation to address the topic. Unfortunately for creators of AI-generated content, the current protections available are limited.

      Stargate Project: everything you need to know about OpenAI’s $500 billion gamble

      Shortly after assuming office, Donald Trump announced a new private business initiative led by OpenAI, planning to invest half a trillion dollars over the next four years in building the data centers and power production facilities needed for America's expanding AI sector.

      “It’s significant funding with high-quality personnel,” Trump stated during a January 21 press announcement alongside Sam Altman from OpenAI, Larry Ellison from Oracle, and Masayoshi Son from SoftBank. He described the project as “a strong declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his leadership, despite the federal government having no involvement in the initiative.