AWS has unveiled its Graviton5 processor, boasting a 25% performance increase and enhanced energy efficiency over its predecessor. This chip will drive the new Amazon EC2 M9g instances, now available in preview, with C9g and R9g instances set for 2026. Featuring 192 cores and a 5x larger L3 cache, Graviton5 minimizes inter-core latency by 33%. Noteworthy early performance gains include a 30% boost for Atlassian's Jira, signaling significant advancements in cloud computing capabilities.
In the 2025 holiday season, 58% of Gen Z and millennials trust AI agents for price comparisons and recommendations, signaling a shift in consumer behavior. AI-driven smart shopping is set to replace traditional browsing methods, emphasizing the need for retailers to evolve. With 72% of consumers prioritizing brands that meet their immediate needs, the focus will shift to discoverability and post-purchase loyalty experiences, fundamentally redefining brand-consumer relationships.
New research reveals that AI reasoning models demand significantly more energy, raising concerns about their impact on power grids. These models consume, on average, 100 times more power than simpler counterparts, with one model from DeepSeek needing 308,186 watt-hours to respond to prompts with reasoning enabled. Sasha Luccioni, of Hugging Face, emphasizes the need for smarter model selection. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stresses the importance of earning social permission for AI's energy consumption.
Elon Musk announced on X that Tesla's latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software enables texting while driving, despite it being illegal in nearly all U.S. states. He stated this functionality depends on the surrounding traffic context and received no immediate clarifications from Tesla's PR team. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating over 50 FSD incidents, including fatal crashes, raising concerns about the implications of this feature for road safety.
Cloudflare experienced a significant outage affecting various applications, though the company has reported that the issue is now resolved. This disruption impacted many services reliant on Cloudflare's infrastructure, renewing concerns about its reliability. Experts argue that such outages can disrupt digital operations substantially, highlighting the need for robust contingency plans. Cloudflare’s swift resolution aims to restore trust among its users and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Google announces a strategic partnership with coding startup Replit, aiming to capitalize on the vibe-coding trend that enables users to generate code through natural language prompts. This collaboration is expected to bolster Google Cloud adoption among businesses. Alphabet's shares have surged over 12% following the release of its AI model, Gemini 3, which adds momentum to its AI efforts. Replit's user-friendly platform aligns with Google's goal to reach beyond traditional developers.
Russian authorities have restricted Apple’s FaceTime service, citing it as a tool for organizing terrorist activities and crime, according to State internet regulator Roskomnadzor. The action follows extensive internet control measures under President Vladimir Putin, including previous blocks on major social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Cybersecurity expert Stanislav Seleznev noted that tens of millions could be affected by this decision, calling it a “predictable” outcome of the regime's tightening grip on communication.
At AWS re:Invent 2025, CEO Matt Garman outlined a transformative vision for Amazon Web Services, emphasizing its intent to lead in AI infrastructure with a projected $132 billion revenue, growing 20% year-over-year. Key announcements include the Trainium3 chip, which boasts four times the computing power of its predecessor, and the launch of AWS AI Factories for on-premises integration. Garman stated, “We believe the advent of AI agents has brought us to an inflection point,” highlighting AWS’s commitment to redefining enterprise operations through AI technologies.
The European Union plans an antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms regarding the integration of AI features in WhatsApp, as reported by the Financial Times. This inquiry aims to assess whether Meta's advancements may contravene competitive regulations. The scrutiny reflects growing concerns over big tech's influence in the digital space and its compliance with EU laws, potentially leading to significant ramifications for Meta's operations within Europe.
Google has unveiled Workspace Studio, a platform that empowers users to create AI agents for automating tasks in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and more without any coding. Leveraging the Gemini 3 model, employees can generate solutions for triaging emails or coordinating projects through simple prompts. Early testers, such as Karcher SE & Co., reported up to 90% reductions in planning time. The service aims to enhance productivity as it rolls out to Google business customers over the coming weeks.