Global Scans · Microsoft · Weekly Summary

• [New] Hyperscaler giants like Microsoft Corporation, Alphabet Inc., and Amazon.com, Inc. are predicted to splash out a combined capital expenditure of $500 billion. Gotrade
• [New] Major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in high-powered chips and vast data centers to build the infrastructure of AI, which they hope will lead the next transformative wave of innovation and economic growth. Nasdaq
• [New] In southeast Wisconsin, Microsoft is spending more than $7 billion on what CEO Satya Nadella calls the world's most powerful AI data center - a facility that will house hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips when it comes online in early 2026. CNBC
• [New] The hyperscalers-Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle - are expected to log combined capital expenditures of more than $500 billion in 2026, with AI infrastructure accounting for the majority of spending. Investopedia
• [New] The Magnificent 7 companies (Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla) are projected to spend $500 billion on capital expenditures in 2026. investing.com
• [New] Microsoft has committed to spending US$10bn with CoreWeave by the end of 2029. Richard van Hooijdonk Blog
• [New] Microsoft plans to invest $17.5 billion in India over the next four years, while Amazon recently unveiled an additional $35 billion investment, building on the $40 billion it has already invested. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Two years ago, Microsoft Inc. signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Helion Energy to buy electricity from the nuclear fusion startup beginning in 2028. oilprice.com
• [New] The Magnificent Seven - Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla - are investing hundreds of billions of dollars into new software that they hope will do the bulk of humanity's work before too long. The Guardian
• [New] The machine that Microsoft and Atom Computing will be delivering, called Magne, will have 50 logical qubits, built from some 1,200 physical qubits, and should be operational by the start of 2027. IEEE Spectrum
• [New] Microsoft, in collaboration with the startup Atom Computing, plans to deliver an error-corrected quantum computer to the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. IEEE Spectrum
• [New] Microsoft will improve access to Advanced Shader Delivery, which stops gamers from having to sit through shader pre-loading the first time they start the game. PCMag UK
• Microsoft has revised its Windows 11 AI privacy policy to require explicit user consent before AI agents can access personal files, following backlash over concerns that AI features could reach sensitive data without clear permission. The AI Policy Newsletter
• Microsoft's existing age verification for Xbox and Microsoft accounts may provide a technical foundation, but extending it across all services while maintaining privacy protections will require significant development. Compliance Hub Wiki
• Most Australians remain persistently logged into Google or Microsoft accounts for email, cloud storage, and productivity tools, meaning age verification will effectively impact nearly all Australian internet users. Compliance Hub Wiki
• If Amazon deepens its financial ties to OpenAI, it could create new strategic pressure on Microsoft (already a major OpenAI partner) and intensify the battle among the largest clouds to be the default home for AI workloads. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin
• Consensus estimates for 2025 capital expenditures (capex) from the five hyperscalers - Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle (ORCL) - in 2025 are expected to come in at $400 billion. Tortuga Wealth Management
• Hyperscalers such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft are participating, and it is expected to become the de facto industry standard. Amiko Consulting
• Constellation Energy, a major U.S. power company, last year partnered with Microsoft on a plan to reignite Unit 1 of Three Mile Island, the site of a major nuclear accident, by 2028. SightLine | U308
• Tech giants Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Oracle have been investing billions of dollars in a race to build out their artificial intelligence ventures in the last year, further stoking Wall Street fears of a bubble capable of disrupting the entire economy. Harvard Gazette

Last updated: 04 January 2026