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Big Tech’s Next AI Bet Is A ‘Watershed Moment,’ Analyst Says — And a $1 Trillion Opportunity by Shannon Carroll

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

At the core of this strategy is a growing alliance between Gulf governments and U.S. technology companies. The Middle East could rapidly become the next major frontier for artificial intelligence, and U.S. tech giants are lining up to cash in. Nvidia, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), Palantir (PLTR), and Tesla (TSLA) are all positioning themselves in the region to be key players in what could be full-throttle AI buildout. In what Wedbush analysts are calling a “watershed moment” for Big Tech, recent developments in the region mean the AI boom might be rapidly shifting its center of gravity. A wave of investment in AI infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is signaling an acceleration in U.S. tech companies’ expansion abroad. According to a Monday note from analysts led by Dan Ives, the region is poised to become one of the most important global markets for AI over the next decade, potentially adding over $1 trillion.  Big Tech’s next AI bet is a ‘watershed moment,’ analyst says — and a $1 trillion opportunity

States in a Race Against Big Tech for Power Plants by Marc Levy, Associated Press

William Attardi on March 10, 2025

Facing projections of spiking energy demand, U.S. states are pressing for ways to build new power plants faster as policymakers increasingly worry about protecting their residents and economies from rising electric bills, power outages, and other consequences of falling behind Big Tech in a race for electricity. Some states are dangling financial incentives. Others are undoing decades of regulatory structures in what they frame as a race to serve the basic needs of residents, avoid a catastrophe and keep their economies on track in a fast-electrifying society. The spike in demand for electricity is being driven, in large part, by the artificial intelligence race as tech companies are snapping up real estate and seeking power to feed their energy-hungry data centers. Federal incentives to rebuild the manufacturing sector also are helping drive demand. States in a Race Against Big Tech for Power Plants – electrifiED

The Genesis of the U.S. Space Force – On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, officially creating the United States Space Force, a new and independent branch of the U.S. military. The establishment of the Space Force marked a historic shift in how the U.S. views and manages its military operations in space, reflecting the growing importance of space as both a domain of strategic competition and national security. The Space Force is tasked with ensuring the U.S. maintains its superiority in space, focusing on both the defense of space assets and the development of offensive capabilities. Its mission includes:

  1. Space Operations: Overseeing space-based systems, such as satellites, that provide essential services to the U.S. military, including communication, reconnaissance, and missile defense.
  2. Space Security: Protecting U.S. space infrastructure from threats, including anti-satellite weapons, cyberattacks, and other potential forms of disruption by adversarial nations.
  3. Space Research and Development: Developing and deploying cutting-edge space technologies, including space-based defense systems, that ensure the U.S. maintains an edge in space exploration and military operations.
  4. Supporting National Defense: Integrating space capabilities into broader national defense strategies, ensuring that U.S. forces can operate effectively in space as part of a multi-domain approach to warfare.

The Space Force is designed to streamline and strengthen the U.S. military’s space operations, which were previously under the purview of the U.S. Air Force. By separating space operations into a distinct branch, the government hoped to increase focus on space as a critical area of national defense and enhance the U.S. military’s ability to respond to emerging threats. Source: Day in History