Uber's COO, Andrew Macdonald, is questioning the company's AI spending, which reached $3.4 billion in 2025, a 9% increase from the previous year. He notes it's hard to draw a direct link between AI spending and useful features or productivity gains. The company is working with various large model companies to address consumer wants and needs better.
Meanwhile, billionaire Chase Coleman has invested over half of his portfolio in 7 AI stocks, including NVIDIA, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Waymo, DeepMind, and Nuance Communications. This investment strategy highlights the growing importance of AI in the tech industry.
Several companies are making significant moves in AI. Caterpillar generated $10.2 billion in data center generator sales last year, and its Power Generation revenue hit $2.817 billion in Q1 2026, up 41% year-over-year. TeraWulf's stock soared after announcing plans for a large-scale AI data center expansion.
Startups, particularly in Massachusetts, are grappling with soaring AI costs and runaway spending. To mitigate potential job losses due to AI, a tech worker coalition is piloting a basic income program, including training and a $1,000 monthly stipend. Companies like BNP Paribas are bolstering their cybersecurity defenses in anticipation of powerful AI models.
New AI-powered solutions are emerging, such as AppOmni's Marlin AI, an autonomous AI-powered SaaS security solution, and Tamnoon's expanded cloud security platform with AI-generated remediation skills. The HSMAI Foundation's report on the AI talent pipeline highlights a growing 'AI literacy mismatch' between classroom habits and operational readiness in hospitality organizations.
Key Takeaways
['Uber spent $3.4 billion on research and development in 2025, with a focus on finding a direct link between AI spending and useful features.', 'Billionaire Chase Coleman has invested over half of his portfolio in 7 AI stocks, including NVIDIA, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Waymo, DeepMind, and Nuance Communications.', 'Caterpillar generated $10.2 billion in data center generator sales last year, with Power Generation revenue up 41% year-over-year in Q1 2026.', "TeraWulf's stock soared after announcing plans for a large-scale AI data center expansion.", 'Massachusetts startups are struggling with soaring AI costs and runaway spending.', 'A tech worker coalition is piloting a basic income program, including training and a $1,000 monthly stipend, to prepare for potential AI job losses.', 'BNP Paribas is bolstering its cybersecurity defenses in anticipation of powerful AI models.', "New AI-powered solutions include AppOmni's Marlin AI and Tamnoon's expanded cloud security platform.", "The HSMAI Foundation's report highlights a growing 'AI literacy mismatch' between classroom habits and operational readiness in hospitality organizations.", "Uber's COO questions AI spending, noting it's hard to draw a connection between AI spending and tangible productivity gains."]Uber COO Questions AI Spending
Uber's COO, Andrew Macdonald, is questioning the company's AI spending. He says it's hard to draw a line between AI spending and deliverable features. Uber spent $3.4 billion on research and development in 2025, a 9% increase from the previous year. The company is now focusing on finding a direct link between AI spending and useful features.
Uber Warns of AI Tokenmaxxing
Uber President Andrew Macdonald warned that there is no clear link between AI token usage and successful products. The company is working with various large model companies to try to address consumer wants and needs better. However, Macdonald noted that there hasn't been anything significant that has taken off yet.
Uber Burns Through AI Budget
Uber burned through its entire 2026 AI budget in just four months. COO Andrew Macdonald is now questioning whether the spending is worth it. He says it's hard to draw a connection between AI spending and tangible productivity gains.
Uber COO on AI Investment
Uber COO Andrew Macdonald says that AI investment is harder to justify as productivity returns lag. He notes that somebody's paying the bill for AI underperformance. Macdonald also mentions that commerce AI agents haven't taken off yet.
Hidden AI Revenue Stream
Caterpillar generated $10.2 billion in data center generator sales last year. The company's Power Generation revenue hit $2.817 billion in Q1 2026, up 41% year-over-year. Caterpillar's backlog surged to a record $63 billion, up 79% year-over-year.
S&P 500 AI Infrastructure Growth
Strip AI infrastructure and energy from the S&P 500's forward earnings picture and growth collapses to zero. Strip AI infrastructure and energy from the S&P 500's forward earnings picture and growth collapses to zero. The market is pricing the CapEx impulse from AI as the engine of the broader economy.
Chase Coleman's AI Stock Holdings
Over half of billionaire Chase Coleman's portfolio is invested in 7 brilliant AI stocks. These stocks include NVIDIA, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Waymo, DeepMind, and Nuance Communications.
Basic Income Program for AI Job Losses
A tech worker coalition is piloting a basic income program for AI job losses. The program includes training and a $1,000 monthly stipend. The goal is to prepare for potential mass job losses due to AI.
BNP Paribas Enhances AI Defenses
BNP Paribas is bolstering its cybersecurity defenses in anticipation of powerful AI models. The bank is working with French startup Mistral to identify vulnerabilities and prepare for potential cyberattacks.
AppOmni Launches Marlin AI
AppOmni launched Marlin AI, an autonomous AI-powered SaaS security solution. Marlin AI helps organizations investigate and remediate security threats in their SaaS applications.
Tamnoon Expands Cloud Security
Tamnoon expanded its cloud security platform with a skill-based remediation feature. The platform uses AI to generate customer-specific remediation skills to close cloud risks.
HSMAI Foundation AI Talent Report
The HSMAI Foundation released a report on the AI talent pipeline. The report found a growing 'AI literacy mismatch' between classroom habits and operational readiness in hospitality organizations.
TeraWulf Stock Soars
TeraWulf's stock soared after the company announced plans for a large-scale AI data center expansion. The new data center will provide TeraWulf with a significant amount of power and cooling capacity.
Mass Startups Grapple with AI Costs
Massachusetts startups are grappling with soaring AI costs and runaway spending. Many startups are finding it difficult to manage their AI expenses, which can quickly add up.
Sources
- Uber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’
- Uber chief warns no link yet between AI tokenmaxxing and shipping successful products — company pumps the brakes on all-out AI spending
- Uber burned through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months. Now its COO is questioning whether it’s worth it
- AI Investment Is 'Harder to Justify' as Productivity Returns Lag, Uber COO Says
- A $10.2 Billion Hidden AI Revenue Stream Most Investors Are Missing
- S&P 500 Other Than AI Infrastructure Is Growing at 0%. Lance Roberts Warns What Happens if the AI Boom Stumbles.
- Over Half of Billionaire Chase Coleman's Portfolio Is Invested in 7 Brilliant Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks
- Tech organizers are piloting a basic income program for AI job losses
- BNP Paribas steps up Mistral partnership to bolster rapid AI defences
- AppOmni Launches Marlin AI™, the First Autonomous AI-Powered SaaS Security for Investigation and Guided Remediation
- Tamnoon Expands Cloud Security Platform with Skill-Based Remediation, Defining Frontier AI Defense for the Cloud
- HSMAI Foundation Shares Findings From AI Talent Pipeline Report
- TeraWulf Stock Soars On News Of A.I. Data Centre Expansion
- Mass. startups grapple with soaring AI costs and runaway spending
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