Amazon CEO Jassy defends $200 billion AI spend: “We’re not going to be conservative”

“We’re not going to be conservative in how we play this — we’re investing to be the meaningful leader, and our future business, operating income, and [free cash flow] will be much larger because of it,” Jassy wrote.

The company disclosed in February that it expects to spend roughly $200 billion this year on capital expenditures, with the lion’s share going toward AI infrastructure, including data centers, chips and networking equipment.

That’s more than any of its tech peers, and a nearly 60% increase from last year.

Amazon shares have struggled so far this year as investors question the company’s aggressive AI spending plans and grow increasingly impatient about when the investments will pay off. The stock has slid more than 4% year to date.