Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has announced a massive $75 billion investment in capital expenditures this year, focusing heavily on AI infrastructure such as servers and data centers.
CFO Anat Ashkenazi confirmed that between $16 billion and $18 billion will be spent in the first quarter alone.
This move comes as Alphabet looks to meet the rising demand for AI, with CEO Sundar Pichai stating that Google Cloud customers are consuming eight times more compute power than 18 months ago.
The announcement follows similar moves by other tech giants. Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in AI infrastructure, while Meta has committed between $60 billion and $65 billion for the same purpose.
The rapid growth of AI startups, particularly China’s DeepSeek, has increased pressure on U.S. companies to scale up investments. Analysts believe this could mark AI’s “Sputnik moment,” pushing American tech firms to expand their AI capabilities faster.
Alphabet also reaffirmed its partnership with Nvidia, highlighting its Blackwell platform as a key part of its AI development. Despite these aggressive investments, Alphabet’s stock dropped nearly 8% after its cloud revenue fell short of analyst expectations in Q4.
The company had closed at a record high of $206.38 before the earnings report but faced a dip in extended trading.