- Amazon to spend A$13bn across five years
- BT CEO says AI may cut more jobs
What happened: Amazon boosts cloud reach as BT reviews AI impact on staff
Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $13 billion in new data centres across Australia by 2027. This supports the growing need for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services in the country. The new data centres will increase local server capacity and lower delays to improve business performance. They will also handle the rising demands of AI and machine learning in both public and private sectors.
At the same time, BT Group’s CEO, Allison Kirkby said artificial intelligence could cause more job cuts than first thought. BT had announced plans to reduce its workforce by 40,000 to 55,000 by 2030. However, those targets did not fully reflect the growing role of AI in company operations. BT already uses AI in network maintenance, customer support and service automation. The EE mobile unit runs a chatbot named Aimee, which handles thousands of customer chats weekly. Kirkby also said that the idea of spinning off Openreach has been paused for now.
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Why it’s important
Amazon’s large data centre investment shows Australia’s growing role in the global digital economy. Local cloud infrastructure helps support new AI tools and digital services. The new centres improve service speed and data security for users in the region. They make Australia’s digital infrastructure stronger to meet higher cloud demand.
BT’s update on AI-linked job cuts shows how fast automation is changing the telecom industry. AI tools already handle tasks once managed by staff. If use grows faster than planned, job losses may go beyond current forecasts. The company is reviewing its future workforce needs. Its structural decisions, such as the status of Openreach, show wider efforts to adjust to the digital shift. Together, these events reflect how technology and business strategy are now tightly linked.
