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Big tech has spent $155bn on AI this year. It’s about to spend hundreds of billions more https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/02/big-tech-ai-spending

Big tech has spent $155bn on AI this year. It’s about to spend hundreds of billions more https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/02/big-tech-ai-spending https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/02/big-tech-...

Lu2025 1y ago
They classify a lot of it as R&D and write it off taxes. Taxpayers foot the bill.
- trenchpilgrim 1y ago
  "That's not a write off!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCP27_vquxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCP27_vquxQ
  - anonymars 1y ago
    Obligatory -- "You don't even know what a write-off is. Do you?" https://youtu.be/XEL65gywwHQ https://youtu.be/XEL65gywwHQ
    - lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 1y ago
      Something I like about that scene is Seinfeld (the actor) clearly struggles not to smile at Kramer's delivery of the punch line despite that he (the character) was supposed to be irate with Kramer.
      - anonymars 1y ago
        Heh. Well, Kramer himself...was often less amused... Thread/video: https://old.reddit.com/r/television/comments/7lvvg5/michael_richards_getting_constantly_pissed_at_the/ https://old.reddit.com/r/television/comments/7lvvg5/michael_... Probably that's why it feels like half the actual episode takes were like that, because they couldn't keep from breaking!
- gruez 1y ago
  If you're taking about the R&D provisions in the OBBBA, that only changes the schedule of the deduction (immediately vs over several years). R&D, like most business expenses were was always deductible. Whether it's prudent or not isn't a factor.
- AdieuToLogic 1y ago
  > They classify a lot of it as R&D and write it off taxes. Taxpayers foot the bill. Taxpayers do not "foot the bill" for corporations reducing their tax obligations via "write-offs". See: https://accountinginsights.org/what-does-write-it-off-mean-for-taxes/ https://accountinginsights.org/what-does-write-it-off-mean-f...
kaycey2022 1y ago
Maybe it's a 5D chess move to generate investor pressure on them to not spend that much.
- nostrademons 1y ago
  Nah, more like a 1D chess move. Investors will pay them to invest in AI, so invest in AI, make the stock go up, sell, and leave the dumb investors holding the bag. 2D chess if they're smart: start a new company that competes with the one they just sold to dumb investors. Jack Dorsey is particularly fond of this move.
gonyanghn 1y ago
Should have just hired a korean cook instead of spending billions of dollars to hire some AI dude to come up with an app to narrate a korean recipe.
spixy 1y ago
Wow. That money would repay all public debt of my country (Czechia). Or rebuild a third of Ukraine.

Lu2025 1y ago

They classify a lot of it as R&D and write it off taxes. Taxpayers foot the bill.

trenchpilgrim 1y ago
"That's not a write off!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCP27_vquxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCP27_vquxQ
- anonymars 1y ago
  Obligatory -- "You don't even know what a write-off is. Do you?" https://youtu.be/XEL65gywwHQ https://youtu.be/XEL65gywwHQ
  - lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 1y ago
    Something I like about that scene is Seinfeld (the actor) clearly struggles not to smile at Kramer's delivery of the punch line despite that he (the character) was supposed to be irate with Kramer.
    - anonymars 1y ago
      Heh. Well, Kramer himself...was often less amused... Thread/video: https://old.reddit.com/r/television/comments/7lvvg5/michael_richards_getting_constantly_pissed_at_the/ https://old.reddit.com/r/television/comments/7lvvg5/michael_... Probably that's why it feels like half the actual episode takes were like that, because they couldn't keep from breaking!
gruez 1y ago
If you're taking about the R&D provisions in the OBBBA, that only changes the schedule of the deduction (immediately vs over several years). R&D, like most business expenses were was always deductible. Whether it's prudent or not isn't a factor.
AdieuToLogic 1y ago
> They classify a lot of it as R&D and write it off taxes. Taxpayers foot the bill. Taxpayers do not "foot the bill" for corporations reducing their tax obligations via "write-offs". See: https://accountinginsights.org/what-does-write-it-off-mean-for-taxes/ https://accountinginsights.org/what-does-write-it-off-mean-f...

kaycey2022 1y ago

Maybe it's a 5D chess move to generate investor pressure on them to not spend that much.

nostrademons 1y ago
Nah, more like a 1D chess move. Investors will pay them to invest in AI, so invest in AI, make the stock go up, sell, and leave the dumb investors holding the bag. 2D chess if they're smart: start a new company that competes with the one they just sold to dumb investors. Jack Dorsey is particularly fond of this move.

gonyanghn 1y ago

Should have just hired a korean cook instead of spending billions of dollars to hire some AI dude to come up with an app to narrate a korean recipe.

spixy 1y ago

Wow. That money would repay all public debt of my country (Czechia). Or rebuild a third of Ukraine.