Amazon announced it will spend $200 billion in 2026 on artificial intelligence, robotics, and other technology projects. The announcement comes a day after the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, laid off about one-third of its employees. The company also reported $213 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, slightly below Wall Street expectations, even as sales and growth rose. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the increase in capital spending from $125 billion to $200 billion reflects strong demand and long-term opportunities in AI, robotics, cloud computing, and low-earth orbit satellites. Analysts had expected spending around $147 billion. “With such strong demand for our existing offerings and seminal opportunities like AI, chips, robotics, and low-earth orbit satellites, we expect to invest about $200 billion in capital expenditures across Amazon in 2026, and anticipate strong long-term return on invested capital,” Jassy said. Amazon’s plan signals that major cloud-computing companies are continuing heavy investments in AI. Along with Microsoft, Google’s Alphabet, and Meta, Amazon is part of a group expected to spend more than $630 billion on AI this year. Revenue in the fourth quarter rose 14% to $213.4 billion, up from $187.8 billion in the same period last year. Net income was $21.2 billion, or $1.95 per share, compared with $20 billion, or $1.86 per share, the previous year. Analysts had expected $1.97 per share on revenue of $211.4 billion. Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud-computing division, grew 24% to $35.6 billion, marking its fastest growth in 13 quarters. Advertising revenue increased 22%. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and executive chair of the board, bought the Washington Post for $250 million in 2013. Amazon stock represents most of his $235 billion net worth, which fell by $9 billion, or 3.7%, following the earnings report. Shares dropped nearly 9% in after-hours trading. The Washington Post layoffs and Amazon’s massive investment come at a moment of tension between the media and its corporate owner. Former Post executive editor Marty Baron, who won 11 Pulitzer Prizes while leading the newspaper, expressed concern over the cuts, saying, “The aspirations of this news organization are diminished. I think that’ll translate into fewer subscribers. And I hope it’s not a death spiral, but I worry that it might be.” Amazon’s dual headlines of bold investment and media downsizing highlight the contrast between rapid technological growth and challenges in the news industry. The $200 billion spending plan emphasizes the company’s focus on AI, robotics, satellites, and cloud computing, while the Post faces significant workforce reductions.