Amazon’s $13 Billion Bet on AI, Cloud, and Energy: A Game-Changer in the Making

The American giant Amazon has just announced a colossal investment of 13 billion dollars in Australia in its data centers and renewable energy projects. This initiative takes place in the context of global technological rivalry. AI, cloud, and energy sovereignty now stand as the new levers of economic and geopolitical power.

Amazon injects 13 billion into AI in Australia

Amazon is deploying in Australia one of its most ambitious investment plans to date, with 13 billion dollars invested in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Under the direction of Andy Jassy, the group is betting on the massive expansion of its Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers across the entire continent, thereby strengthening its foothold in a region that has become highly strategic.

This decision comes as geopolitical tensions intensify in the Indo-Pacific. Australia, by tightening its technological and military ties with the United States, seeks to counterbalance China’s growing influence.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has even described this commitment as “the largest investment ever made by a global technology provider in our country“, underlining Canberra’s determination to become a key regional hub in digital infrastructure.

The timing of this announcement is no coincidence. At the same time, Amazon is exploring with Walmart the creation of dollar-backed stablecoins, an initiative aimed at bypassing traditional payment circuits.

By combining control of critical infrastructure (cloud, AI) with control of future digital transaction means, the American giant asserts a global strategy of technological domination.

The energy aspect is not left behind. Three new solar farms will be established in Victoria and Queensland. This addition brings to eleven the total number of renewable projects Amazon has on the territory.

An economic offensive with major geostrategic repercussions

The expected economic impact goes far beyond the 13.4 billion dollars invested by Amazon. According to the Australian Ministry of Industry, artificial intelligence and automation could contribute up to 400 billion dollars to the national GDP by 2030.

On the energy side, the three new solar farms planned in Victoria and Queensland will produce up to 1.4 million megawatt-hours of decarbonized electricity per year, enough to supply around 290,000 Australian households.

This massive deployment reflects the growing interest of tech giants in renewable energies, which have become a cornerstone of their expansion strategy, for economic, regulatory, and reputational reasons alike.

This move towards diversified energy sources fits into a well-established global strategy. Last June, Amazon partnered with Talen Energy to secure a nuclear electricity supply for its AWS centers in Pennsylvania.

Finally, this new Australian offensive illustrates the intensification of competition among tech giants in the AI race. The GAFAM accelerate their investments to take control of strategic resources: data centers, electricity, semiconductors, and computing power.

As artificial intelligence models become more complex and energy-consuming, mastering the entire infrastructure chain becomes a matter of technological sovereignty for companies… and for the states that host them.