Bezos Says Amazon’s Next Pillar Is Chips—But Can It Catch Up In AI Before Rivals Lock It Out?
By: Lucas Caldwell
Amazon just took Walmart’s crown as Fortune Global 500 #1, but Bezos isn’t bragging about size. He’s fixated on chips—calling them the next “durable pillar” after AWS and Prime. The garage startup that once sold books now delivers as many packages as USPS and powers 1/3 the internet. But the real fight is AI, and Amazon’s throwing billions at it.
Amazon spent $131B on capex in 2025, mostly on AWS and generative AI. It plans $200B in 2026. April brought a multibillion-dollar deal with Meta for Graviton chips. It also invested up to $25B in Anthropic, which will buy over $100B of Amazon’s cloud services. These moves aren’t random—they’re bets on controlling AI infrastructure.
AWS’s 2025 revenue hit $128.7B (up 20% year-over-year) with $45.6B operating income. Amazon’s journey started in 1995 with a door-desk in a garage. It went public in 1997 at $18/share, $440M valuation—now it’s $2.6T. For years, investors doubted it would profit. AWS changed that in 2006, becoming the backbone of Netflix and DoorDash.
Amazon faces tough competition. Walmart’s still a retail rival. But the AI race is the big one. Bezos stepped down as CEO in 2021, focusing on other ventures. NYU’s Amy Webb wonders if Amazon’s next 10 years will be as exciting. The company has ground to make up in AI—its rivals are already ahead in some areas.
Bezos keeps hammering “customer obsession” (10 times in one chat). Low prices, fast delivery, vast selection—these are non-negotiable. He says no customer wants slower delivery or higher prices. But AI needs more than that. It needs chips, data, and speed. Amazon’s chip push is its way to tie AI to its core strengths.
Amazon’s chip bet will either make it the AI infrastructure king or leave it trailing behind for the next decade.
Author bio: Lucas Caldwell, a tech opinion leader with millions of followers on X/Twitter, covers enterprise tech and AI industry trends.