GoKawiilThe global race for dominance in artificial intelligence is turning into one of the most expensive and turbulent corporate competitions in history.
Tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are expected to spend about $600 billion on AI infrastructure during 2026.
This unprecedented spending spree is eroding cash flows and placing heavy pressure on companies to prove that massive investments in chips, servers, and data centers will ultimately yield profits. Yet alongside the grand promises, the operational and human toll is beginning to mount.
One company that took one of the industry's biggest bets is Oracle.
The software giant became a primary provider of AI computing power after signing a massive $300 billion contract with OpenAI. However, constructing the data centers required to fulfill the agreement caused a severe cash squeeze.
he company logo for Oracle Corp. is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., September 18, 2019. (credit: REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID/FILE PHOTO)
Oracle slashes 13% of workforce
To fund the rapid expansion, Oracle took aggressive efficiency measures and enacted a sweeping wave of layoffs. By the end of fiscal year 2026, the company's workforce was slashed by about 21,000 employees, a decline of roughly 13%, from 162,000 to 141,000 workers. The deep cuts followed an operational restructuring driven in part by the internal adoption of AI technologies.
Now it appears that the complex financial situation in which Oracle finds itself is endangering one of its flagship projects. The company is involved in planning a massive, nearly one-gigawatt data center in Port Washington, Wisconsin, meant to supply computing power for the OpenAI contract.
However, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin refused to ease financial collateral requirements, which are designed to ensure that private electricity consumers are not forced to absorb costs in the event of the facility's failure or closure.
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