North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced that Amazon is moving forward with plans to inject $10 billion into the state’s economy through the creation of a cloud computing and AI innovation campus in Richmond County.
According to an announcement by the Governor’s Office, the project is expected to generate at least 500 high-paying jobs in the area.
“Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work and innovate, and I am pleased that North Carolina will stay at the forefront of all that’s ahead as we continue to attract top technology companies like Amazon,” Governor Stein said.
David Zapolsky, Amazon’s Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer remarked, “Amazon’s $10 billion investment in North Carolina underscores our commitment to driving innovation and advancing the future of cloud computing and AI technologies.”
In alignment with the state’s vision, Amazon is preparing to forge partnerships with local leaders, suppliers, and educational institutions to shape the tech landscape and equip the following generation with the requisite skills, as per the Governor’s Office.
North Carolina State and local officials have warmly received the news of Amazon’s commitment. “I am excited for Amazon’s $10 billion investment in our community,” Senator David Craven stated.
Representative Ben Moss has said the investment is “a catalyst to transform the local economy.” They all underscore the intended impact: to uplift the region’s standing in the tech industry and to boost economic growth markedly, as announced by the Governor’s Office.
Amazon has also formed a new team dedicated to developing agentic AI for its robotics division, according to multiple reports.
The group will be based at Lab126, Amazon’s research and development arm known for creating the Kindle e-reader, Fire TV, and Echo devices, as reported by CNBC and Reuters.
Agentic AI differs from basic AI tools like chatbots in that it’s designed to carry out complex user-assigned tasks, often with minimal human involvement.
Amazon reportedly plans to integrate this advanced AI technology into its warehouse robots, aiming to enhance their capabilities beyond single-task functions.
“We’re creating systems that can hear, understand and act on natural language commands, turning warehouse robots into flexible, multi-talented assistants,” Amazon said, per Reuters.
Earlier this year, Amazon Web Services (AWS) also launched a dedicated agentic AI division. Reuters cited an internal email from AWS CEO Matt Garman, who described agentic AI as having the potential to become “the next multi-billion business for AWS.”
Amazon shares rose nearly 2% during Thursday’s session, though they remain down 4% for the year.
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