Big Tech AI Capex Enters the $700B Era, Europe Begins Nuclear Deterrence Debate | February 17, 2026

Amazon $200 billion (+56% YoY), Alphabet $180 billion (+97%), Microsoft $151 billion (+28%), Meta $125 billion (+73%), and Oracle $58.8 billion (+66%). Roughly two-thirds is earmarked for AI accelerator chips. Profitability concerns have knocked more than $1 trillion off Big Tech market caps. (Source: Nasdaq)

The model outperforms earlier 1T+ parameter models, capping off a "China AI week" in which nearly every major Chinese AI company launched a new flagship model in the same week. (Source: South China Morning Post)

India ranks second globally for both ChatGPT and Claude.ai users, trailing only the US. A Blackstone-led consortium invested $1.2 billion ($600 million equity + $600 million debt) in AI startup Neysa, and the government committed $1.1 billion to a state AI venture fund. (Source: TechCrunch, Seeking Alpha)

Between 15–20% of energy is lost delivering power to GPUs inside data centers. Indian startup C2i Semiconductors is developing a "grid-to-GPU" integrated system to cut losses to roughly 10%, raising $15 million in a Series A led by Peak XV Partners. (Source: TechCrunch)

Bloomberg reports Sony is considering pushing the PlayStation 6 launch to 2028–2029. Nintendo is also exploring a Switch 2 price increase due to rising AI-driven component costs. (Source: WCCFTech)

The MPA and SAG-AFTRA flagged large-scale unauthorized use of American IP including Spider-Man and Darth Vader. Disney separately signed a licensing deal with OpenAI allowing character use in Sora. Japan's government has also launched a copyright infringement investigation into AI-generated anime characters. (Source: Al Jazeera, Variety)

Japan avoided a technical recession, but the recovery is lackluster. Full-year 2025 GDP grew 1.1%, rebounding from -0.2% in 2024. Inflation slowed to 2.1% but has remained above the BOJ's 2% target for 45 consecutive months. Prime Minister Takaichi introduced a record JPY 122 trillion budget. (Source: CNBC, The Guardian)

Ahead of the Takaichi-Trump summit, both sides are coordinating a $550 billion Japanese investment commitment under a trade deal, though specific projects remain unconfirmed. (Source: CNBC)

Studies from the Kiel Institute, Harvard, and the University of Chicago all independently reached the 96% conclusion. Yale Budget Lab estimates that 2026 tariffs will raise consumer prices 1.2%, cut real GDP by 0.4 percentage points, and push unemployment up 0.6 points. The S&P 500 CAPE ratio stands at 40 — the highest since the dot-com bubble. (Source: Nasdaq)

The offer aims to block a negotiated Netflix deal, dangling a $2.8 billion breakup fee and a $650 million quarterly extension fee. A historically large deal in the ongoing media industry consolidation. (Source: The Guardian)

Saudi Aramco cut its March-loading Arab Light official selling price to parity with the Oman/Dubai benchmark for the fourth consecutive month. March shipments to China are projected at 56–57 million barrels, up sharply from 48 million in February. (Source: OilPrice)

Storage is projected to drop to 26% by end of March — a four-year low for winter-end levels. Massive summer imports will be needed to refill to 80–90% by November. (Source: OilPrice)

Since the October 2025 all-time high, Ethereum, Solana, and other major cryptocurrencies have fallen even more steeply. Leveraged ETFs and institutional selling have amplified the decline. (Source: The Atlantic)

Annual sales in China fell from 4.23 million units in 2019 to 2.69 million in 2025 — a decline of 1.54 million vehicles. The Chinese auto market's intense price war is the direct driver behind the sweeping cost reduction effort. (Source: Nasdaq, Motor1)

The remarks came from a newly released transcript of December's Central Economic Work Conference. Retail sales grew just 3.7% in 2025, significantly lagging the 5% GDP growth rate — a clear sign that weak consumption has become a tangible problem. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Prices crashed from roughly $121 per ounce on January 30. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's 17% daily price limit widened the gap between domestic and international prices. UBS SDIC changed its valuation methodology without prior notice, expanding investor losses from 17% to 31.5%. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Gold pulled back on profit-taking after gaining 2.5% the previous day on below-forecast US inflation data. (Source: Economic Times)

A German government spokesperson said the aim is to complement, not replace, the US nuclear umbrella. The NATO Secretary General noted that by 2029, Germany's defense budget will exceed the combined spending of the UK and France. (Source: The Guardian, BBC)

Iran proposed joint US-Iran investment in oil, mining, and aircraft procurement to ensure durability of any nuclear deal. President Trump dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region while expressing a preference for a diplomatic resolution. (Source: Deutsche Welle, OilPrice)

US-directed oil sales have generated over $1 billion since Maduro's ouster, with an additional $5 billion expected in the coming months. However, ExxonMobil's CEO called Venezuela "uninvestable" in its current state. Official reserves stand at 300 billion barrels (world's largest), but production has declined by 1.5 million barrels per day from levels 10–15 years ago. (Source: BBC, Al Jazeera)

A special defense budget of NT$1.25 trillion (approximately $40 billion) over eight years has been placed as the top agenda item for the new legislative session. Some 34 US House and Senate members expressed concern that only a portion of the budget may ultimately be approved. (Source: Focus Taiwan, Fox News)

The initiative targets strategic supply chain rebuilding. REalloys secured a $200 million EXIM letter of interest and is constructing North America's first industrial-scale heavy rare earth metallization facility in Ohio. (Source: OilPrice)

The fund will drive AI-led innovation across advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance, and healthcare. (Source: The Register)

The Shanghai-bound plant combines 8GW solar + 4.5GW wind + 2.6GW coal (backup) + 9GWh energy storage, with a similar-scale facility for Jiangsu. This marks a strategic inflection point: coal's role is shifting from primary power source to intermittency backup for renewables. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Bank loan rejections and non-cooperation from state utilities are the primary obstacles, raising concerns about whether India can meet its 500GW clean energy target by 2030. (Source: South China Morning Post)

Sales reached 473,000 units in 2025 with a 23.4% market share, falling short of the 28% target. The per-mile road tax is expected to generate GBP 1.1 billion annually, but the OBR estimates it will reduce EV sales by 440,000 units over five years. (Source: The Guardian)

Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection warned for the first time since the Cold War that war is "not unlikely." (Source: BBC)

Australia reported its highest whooping cough numbers since monitoring began in 1991, alongside the lowest childhood vaccination rates in a decade. The WHO Western Pacific region saw measles cases surge to 42,000 in 2024 — a five-fold increase YoY. The UK's MMR vaccination rate has fallen to 84.4%, well below the 95% herd immunity threshold. (Source: The West Australian, AsiaOne)

Clinical psychologists are reporting extreme apathy and "flatness" distinct from depression, linked to the drugs' effects on dopamine and motivated behavior. GLP-1 medications have also been shown to reduce gambling and shopping addictions. (Source: Vox)

Cases among patients in their 20s through 40s are on the rise. (Source: South China Morning Post)