Amazon

• Amazon led a $4 billion investment in Agility Robotics on April 19, 2026, to deploy 10,000 Digit humanoid robots in US warehouses by 2027. • Digit robots handle picking and packing tasks, reducing labor costs by 30% per Amazon executives. • Deal bolsters Amazon's automation push amid labor shortages and union pressures in fulfillment centers.

• The Federal Trade Commission opened a formal investigation into Amazon's AI-powered recruiting system on April 19, citing concerns that algorithms may discriminate against female and minority candidates based on historical hiring data. • Amazon disclosed that its internal testing revealed the system had a 3.2% higher rejection rate for female applicants in engineering roles, prompting the company to halt deployment pending remediation. • The FTC investigation adds to growing regulatory scrutiny of AI hiring tools and could result in significant compliance obligations or penalties affecting how major corporations deploy algorithmic hiring across the industry.

• Brazil's environmental ministry unveiled a $2 billion five-year initiative on April 18 to combat illegal logging and deforestation in the Amazon, deploying 5,000 additional environmental enforcement officers. • Satellite data from March 2026 showed a 22% increase in forest loss compared to the same month last year, driven by cattle ranching expansion and illegal mining operations, according to the Amazon Surveillance System. • The plan includes indigenous land rights recognition and community-based conservation incentives, representing a significant shift from previous policies that had weakened protections.

• Amazon Prime Video approved a 10-season fantasy series adaptation of Rachel Vincent's bestselling novel "The Fractured Crown" with a reported $200 million production budget. • The series stars Saoirse Ronan as the lead character and begins filming in New Zealand in September 2026, with the first season expected in 2027. • This investment positions Amazon as a major competitor to HBO's "Game of Thrones" legacy, with showrunner Beau Willimon ("House of Cards") overseeing the adaptation.

Exclusive: A trove of previously redacted documents was filed as part of the tech giant’s anti-trust battle with the state of California. Amazon denies it engages in price-fixingHundreds of previously redacted records reveal how Amazon has pressured independent sellers using its platform into raising their prices on the sites of competitors like Walmart and Target, so that Amazon can appear to have lower prices, California authorities allege.The global conglomerate became concerned even if a competitor was selling an item for as little as a penny less, according to one segment of the newly unredacted evidence. Continue reading...

Tech company has signed on to nine deals as it aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAmazon has entered power agreements with nine new renewable projects in New South Wales and Victoria, as the technology company seeks to source renewable power for its datacentre operations in Australia.The nine deals, including one windfarm and 10 solar and battery projects, will take the amount of renewable energy Amazon is sourcing in Australia from 430MW to nearly 1GW. Continue reading...

• Amazon posted stronger-than-expected Q1 2026 earnings Wednesday, with net income reaching $8.3 billion and revenue climbing 18% year-over-year to $147 billion, driven by robust AWS cloud services demand. • AWS revenue grew 22% annually to $28.4 billion, outpacing analyst expectations and demonstrating the resilience of enterprise cloud spending despite macroeconomic uncertainties. • Management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $625 billion, representing 14% growth, citing continued momentum in cloud computing and advertising as key tailwinds for sustained profitability.