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16 Jan 2026

Amazon secures first US-mined copper in decade as AI data centers strain global supply

Amazon has struck a two-year deal with Rio Tinto to source copper from Arizona's Johnson Camp mine, marking the first new domestic copper supply in over a decade. The agreement uses innovative low-carbon Nuton Technology to extract 14,000 metric tons, though this covers just a fraction of AWS needs as each hyperscale facility requires tens of thousands of tons. With copper demand expected to surge 50% by 2040 due to AI expansion, the deal highlights growing supply chain pressures.

3 Sources

OpenAI seeks US supply chain partners for major robotics and consumer devices expansion

OpenAI has issued requests for proposals from US-based manufacturers as it prepares to expand into robotics and consumer devices, alongside a massive data center buildout. The ChatGPT maker is seeking components including silicon, motors, and cooling equipment, signaling an aggressive push into hardware that aligns with the Trump administration's reindustrialization priorities.

4 Sources

15 Jan 2026

Wikipedia signs AI licensing deals with Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon to sustain operations

The Wikimedia Foundation announced licensing deals with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral AI for paid API access to Wikipedia's 65 million articles. The partnerships address rising infrastructure costs from data scraping and declining human traffic as AI chatbots answer questions without directing users to Wikipedia itself.

21 Sources

Wikipedia at 25 faces existential threat from AI while signing major licensing deals

Wikipedia celebrates its 25th anniversary confronting a fundamental challenge to its survival. The crowdsourced encyclopedia has lost over one billion visits between 2022 and 2025 as AI-powered search engines and chatbots increasingly summarize information without directing users to source sites. Meanwhile, the Wikimedia Foundation announced new AI licensing deals with Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Perplexity, and Mistral AI to monetize the heavy bot traffic straining its infrastructure.

7 Sources

OpenAI reclaims two co-founders from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab in major talent coup

Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is losing two of its co-founders—Barret Zoph and Luke Metz—who are returning to OpenAI. The departures come amid allegations of unethical conduct and reveal deeper challenges facing new AI labs trying to compete with established players in Silicon Valley's increasingly fierce AI talent wars.

11 Sources

14 Jan 2026

Microsoft spending on Anthropic AI reaches $500M as tech giant diversifies beyond OpenAI

Microsoft has become one of Anthropic's largest customers, spending approximately $500 million annually to integrate Anthropic AI models into its products. The tech giant is incentivizing Azure sales staff to sell Anthropic's AI models with the same quotas as OpenAI, signaling a strategic shift to diversify AI sources and strengthen enterprise offerings amid intense competition.

2 Sources

RAM prices surge over 500% as AI data centers consume 70% of memory supply, reshaping PC market

The global memory shortage has pushed RAM prices beyond $400 for 32GB kits, with AI data centers claiming 70% of high-end memory chips in 2026. Major manufacturers like Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix have pivoted to serving OpenAI and other AI firms, leaving consumers facing a crisis that analysts predict will extend through 2028. The shortage threatens not just PCs, but the entire consumer electronics ecosystem.

10 Sources

McKinsey tests graduates on AI tool Lilli as firm deploys 20,000 agents alongside human staff

McKinsey is incorporating AI interviews into its graduate recruitment process, requiring candidates to demonstrate collaboration skills with its internal tool Lilli. The blue-chip consultancy now operates 20,000 AI agents alongside 40,000 employees, marking a 500% increase in just 18 months. CEO Bob Sternfels signals the firm is shifting toward liberal arts majors for creativity as AI handles problem-solving tasks.

2 Sources

Oracle faces bondholder lawsuit over $18 billion debt sale tied to OpenAI data center buildout

Oracle is facing a class-action lawsuit from bondholders who claim the company misled them about its financing needs for AI infrastructure. Investors who purchased $18 billion in bonds in September say they suffered losses after Oracle issued another $38 billion in debt just weeks later, causing bond prices to plummet and raising concerns about increased credit risk.

5 Sources

Airbnb hires Meta's AI leader Ahmad Al-Dahle as CTO to transform travel with artificial intelligence

Airbnb has appointed Ahmad Al-Dahle, who led generative AI at Meta and oversaw the Llama open-source models downloaded over one billion times, as its new Chief Technology Officer. The strategic hire signals Airbnb's push to integrate AI into its travel platform, moving beyond anonymous search to personalized experiences that strengthen human connection.

5 Sources

AI productivity paradox: Workers lose 37% of time savings fixing AI mistakes and low-quality output

AI speeds up work but creates more of it. New research reveals 37% of time saved through AI is lost to correcting errors and rewriting content. Only 14% of employees consistently achieve positive outcomes from AI use, highlighting a growing productivity paradox that demands better training and job redesign.

4 Sources

Nothing CEO Carl Pei confirms smartphone prices will rise as AI drives memory costs up 3x

Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced inevitable smartphone price increases in 2026 as AI data centers compete for the same memory chips used in phones. Memory modules that cost under $20 a year ago could exceed $100 by year-end for top-tier models. The shift marks the end of 15 years of declining component costs and signals an existential crisis for budget phones.

3 Sources

Apollo Global Management opens trading on $3.5B private debt deal backing Elon Musk's xAI

Apollo Global Management is opening trading on a $3.5 billion private debt deal supporting Elon Musk's xAI. The financing funds access to Nvidia graphics processing units and data center infrastructure for training Grok, xAI's AI chatbot. Apollo estimates several trillion dollars will be needed for global data center infrastructure over the next decade.

2 Sources

HCL Technologies reports $3 billion bookings as AI-led demand fuels strong deal momentum

HCL Technologies achieved $3 billion in total contract value bookings during Q3, driven by surging AI-led demand across data centers, custom silicon, and physical AI services. The company's advanced AI revenue grew 20% sequentially to $146 million, translating to a $600 million annualized run rate. CEO C Vijayakumar emphasized that AI is now embedded in every major engagement, with discretionary spending shifting toward AI-enabling services.

2 Sources

Glass cloth shortage emerges as AI boom drains supply, leaving Apple and Nvidia scrambling

A critical glass cloth shortage is threatening AI chip production as Apple, Nvidia, Google, and Amazon compete for limited supplies from Japanese manufacturer Nitto Boseki. The supply crunch, driven by surging AI data center demand, won't ease until 2027. Tech giants are dispatching executives to Japan while racing to qualify alternative suppliers.

3 Sources

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