Amazon commits $50 billion to boost US government AI power

Amazon is making a huge move to support U.S. government work with AI and fast computing.

The company plans to spend up to $50 billion to build new data centers with strong power systems and secure networks.

Main investment
AWS will add close to 1.3 gigawatts of computing strength across secure regions used by federal agencies. These regions include Top Secret, Secret, and GovCloud zones that protect sensitive information.

Tools for federal teams
Agencies will gain access to AI tools such as Amazon Bedrock, Amazon SageMaker, and Amazon Nova, along with models from partners like Anthropic.

New chips like AWS Trainium and strong hardware from Nvidia will help speed up training and data tasks.

Faster results
Work that once took weeks may soon take hours. This includes tasks like reading satellite images, testing complex systems, or running forecasts for health, energy, or defense needs.

Impact on public work
Many agencies will be able to study large data sets, test ideas, and act more quickly. The plan aims to raise the speed and strength of key areas such as research, safety, and national programs.

A major push for stronger and faster government tech.

The UK government is working to grow its national AI computing power next year.

Big plan for AI compute
A government agency called DSIT is looking to spend up to £250 million over four years to secure cloud compute capacity for the country’s main AI platform, called AIRR.

What they need
They want cloud providers who can connect smoothly to the existing AIRR system — which already runs two supercomputers — and add more GPU power when needed.

The deal must also include safe data storage, management of AI workloads, monitoring, scaling on demand, and security.

Why it matters
The goal is to grow the UK’s AI capacity up to 20-times by the year 2030.

That means researchers, universities, and industry will get access to powerful AI compute — to work on climate science, medicine, energy, material science and more.

When it will start
The contract period is expected to run from May 2026 to March 2030. Cloud providers must register interest by January 15, 2026.

This push could reshape where and how AI research and large projects are done in the UK.

In this special episode, authors Meredith Stein and David Linthicum sit down to unpack their groundbreaking new book, Unlocking the Power of the Cloud: Governance, Artificial Intelligence, Risk Management, Value.

They reveal why "the cloud revolution is reshaping the foundation of business" and why "the old playbook is obsolete"—and, more importantly, how leaders can finally get their hands on the new playbook for governing in the age of cloud and AI.

You’ll hear Meredith and Dave break down how cloud computing and AI are fundamentally disrupting corporate governance, risk, and compliance—and how a well-designed cloud governance ecosystem can accelerate innovation rather than constrain it.

They explore the critical intersection where cloud infrastructure meets AI deployment and show how forward-looking organizations are harnessing that convergence for real competitive advantage, not just cost savings.

Along the way, they explain how to manage risks that didn’t even exist five years ago and turn compliance from a cost center into a strategic differentiator.

Whether you’re a CEO, board member, CIO, security leader, auditor, or risk professional, this conversation is a wake-up call: your competitors are already moving.

The question isn’t whether you’ll adapt to the cloud and AI era—it’s whether you’ll lead.

Alibaba Cloud is seeing very fast growth as more groups ask for AI tools.

Revenue rose 34 percent in one year and reached $5.6bn. AI products have grown at triple-digit rates for many quarters in a row.

Rising demand and supply strain
Leaders at the company said they cannot add servers fast enough. They are giving first priority to customers who use many parts of the platform. Others who only rent simple GPU tasks get lower priority.

The team explained that many parts used to make AI servers are in short supply. Chips, memory, storage, and other parts are all tight. They expect this to last two to three years.

Large spend but still behind US rivals
Over the past year, Alibaba spent around $16bn to buy AI gear. AWS, by comparison, spent more than twice that in one quarter.

Alibaba had planned to spend $53bn over three years, but the CEO now thinks that number may be too small. They may need to spend more if supply chains improve.

Alibaba sees strong AI growth but must overcome tight supply to keep up with demand.

Vodacom and Google Cloud are working together on a multi-year plan to improve AI services in Africa.

The collaboration aims to give businesses and organizations better access to AI tools and cloud infrastructure.

What the partnership covers
The plan includes building stronger cloud systems, offering AI platforms, and helping teams use data more effectively.

This will support sectors like healthcare, finance, and education.

Vodacom will use Google Cloud’s technology to make AI more available and easier to use for local businesses and developers.

Supporting skills and innovation
Part of the project focuses on training and supporting developers and IT teams.

This is designed to help local talent grow and bring new AI solutions to market faster.

Impact on the region
By combining Vodacom’s reach and Google Cloud’s technology, the partnership hopes to make Africa more competitive in AI and give organizations the tools to run smarter operations.

The collaboration could reshape how AI is used and deployed across Africa’s growing digital economy.

OVHcloud experienced an outage at its Gravelines data center region in France.

The issue affected multiple customers and services, causing temporary disruptions.

Scope of the outage
Several services hosted in the region were impacted.

OVHcloud’s teams worked to restore normal operations and limit downtime for affected clients.

Cause and resolution
The company has not provided detailed technical reasons publicly but confirmed that efforts were focused on bringing servers and network systems back online safely.

OVHcloud emphasized its commitment to monitoring systems closely to prevent similar interruptions in the future.

Impact on customers
Businesses relying on the Gravelines region were asked to follow guidance from OVHcloud for recovery steps.

While some services returned quickly, others experienced delays in full restoration.

OVHcloud aims to learn from this outage to improve reliability and ensure that future disruptions are minimized.