AWS re:Invent 2024: Amazon's Cloud Computing Conference Spotlights AI Advancements and Industry Challenges
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AWS re:Invent 2024: What to expect and how to watch Amazon's biggest event of the year
Amazon Web Services' (AWS) biggest conference of the year has begun, and all signs point to it being an eventful one. AWS re:Invent 2024 kicked off in Las Vegas on Sunday, with sessions scheduled to run through December 6. A keynote address featuring AWS CEO Matt Garman will take place December 3, starting at 8 a.m. PT sharp. AWS plans to make a livestream of the keynote available on YouTube, and we'll be covering everything that's announced onstage. Keep your eyes peeled for that, as well as for our stories popping up throughout the course of re:Invent. Notably, this is Garman's first re:Invent as AWS' CEO. His predecessor, Adam Selipsky, stepped down in May after just three years at the helm. So what can we expect? Garman must deal with a market perception that AWS continues to trail Microsoft and Google in the generative AI race. AWS has introduced a number of generative AI services in recent months, and the company claims that its revenue from generative AI has reached "multiple billions" of dollars. In another win, AWS just weeks ago shored up its partnership with Anthropic by becoming the AI company's primary model training partner and by agreeing to have Anthropic's team help guide its future AI chip design efforts. But AWS has also faced setbacks, like the departure of top AI exec Matt Wood and delays of its flagship Olympus model. Garman will almost certainly talk about generative AI during his keynote. (The re:Invent catalog lists over 500 generative AI-related sessions.) But he told TechCrunch in October that re:Invent wouldn't be "just an AI conference" this year. "I think we're going to have innovations across the stack in compute and storage and databases and analytics and AI," he said in an interview. "It's going to be across the whole stack of AWS." Expect a cameo from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy during Garman's keynote, the theme of which Amazon rather bombastically describes as "highlighting how AWS is reinventing foundational building blocks as well as developing new experiences to empower customers and partners with what they need to build a better future." AWS VP Swami Sivasubramanian will give an AI- and data-focused presentation on new AWS services on December 4. And December 5, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels will dive deep into his tech predictions for the coming year -- a longtime regular fixture of re:Invent. Sivasubramanian and Vogels' speeches, like Garman's, will be streamed on YouTube -- and we'll be covering them right here on TechCrunch.
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AWS re:Invent 2024: Live updates from Amazon's biggest event
Amazon's re:invent 2024 conference returns to Las Vegas for a series of reveals and keynotes through December 6. AI is expected to be the focus of the event, but there's plenty more in store for Amazon Web Services users, which you can follow live below throughout the week. Amazon's largest enterprise event of the year is underway, and if you didn't make it to Las Vegas this year, you still have options. You can follow along with this live blog, get caught up on our re:Invent 2024 preview or you can actually livestream the biggest talks from re:Invent 2024 by signing up with Amazon right here. That livestream kicks off Monday at 7:30 p.m. PT with Senior Vice President of AWS Utility Computing Peter DeSantis. But for the most prominent keynote, you'll have to wait until Tuesday at 8 a.m. PT, when AWS CEO Matt Garman takes center stage in an address that will additionally be livestreamed via its YouTube channel. As noted by our AI reporter Kyle Wiggers: "Garman must deal with a market perception that AWS continues to trail Microsoft and Google in the generative AI race," amid a mixed bag of recent wins with Anthropic and losses in executive leadership and delays of its Olympus model. Amazon has already made several announcements ahead of the event, including the launch of the AWS Security Incident Response service to reduce business recovery times following cyberattacks, a switch to using liquid cooling throughout its AI servers, and its Data Transfer Terminals, which are physical locations where customers can upload to the cloud in person.
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Amazon Web Services' annual re:Invent conference kicks off in Las Vegas, with AI expected to take center stage amid fierce competition in the cloud computing market.
AWS re:Invent 2024 Kicks Off in Las Vegas
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched its biggest conference of the year, AWS re:Invent 2024, in Las Vegas. The event, which began on Sunday and will run through December 6, is set to showcase the latest innovations in cloud computing and artificial intelligence 1.
New Leadership Takes the Stage
This year's conference marks a significant transition for AWS, as it will be the first re:Invent featuring Matt Garman as CEO. Garman, who took over from Adam Selipsky in May, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on December 3 at 8 a.m. PT 1. The keynote will be livestreamed on YouTube, making it accessible to a global audience.
AI at the Forefront
Artificial Intelligence is expected to be a major focus of the event, with over 500 generative AI-related sessions listed in the conference catalog 1. This emphasis comes as AWS faces market perceptions of lagging behind competitors Microsoft and Google in the AI race. Despite these challenges, AWS claims to have generated "multiple billions" in revenue from generative AI services 1.
Recent Developments and Challenges
AWS has made significant strides in the AI field, recently strengthening its partnership with Anthropic. This collaboration positions AWS as Anthropic's primary model training partner and involves Anthropic's team in guiding AWS's future AI chip design efforts 1. However, the company has also faced setbacks, including the departure of top AI executive Matt Wood and delays in the release of its flagship Olympus model 1.
Beyond AI: A Comprehensive Tech Showcase
While AI is a central theme, Garman has emphasized that re:Invent 2024 will not be "just an AI conference" 1. The event is expected to showcase innovations across AWS's entire stack, including compute, storage, databases, and analytics 1. This approach underscores AWS's commitment to maintaining its leadership in the broader cloud computing market.
Key Presentations and Announcements
The conference will feature several high-profile presentations:
- Matt Garman's keynote on December 3, expected to cover AWS's strategy for "reinventing foundational building blocks" 1
- AWS VP Swami Sivasubramanian's AI- and data-focused presentation on new AWS services on December 4 1
- Amazon CTO Werner Vogels' tech predictions for the coming year on December 5 1
Pre-Conference Announcements
Ahead of the event, AWS has already made several significant announcements:
- The launch of AWS Security Incident Response service to enhance business recovery times following cyberattacks 2
- A shift to liquid cooling for AI servers, indicating a focus on energy efficiency and performance 2
- The introduction of Data Transfer Terminals, physical locations for customers to upload data to the cloud in person 2
These pre-event announcements hint at AWS's focus on security, sustainability, and innovative data management solutions.
As the conference unfolds, industry observers will be closely watching for AWS's strategies to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving cloud computing and AI landscapes.
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