Global Scans · Microsoft · Weekly Summary

• [New] $100 B R&D investment and ecosystem lock-in with OpenAI/Microsoft create moats, but regulatory risks in China and spending slowdowns pose threats. Ainvest
• [New] Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are projected to spend 650 billion dollars on capital expenditures in 2026, up about 60% year over year. Bits&Chips
• [New] Big Tech firms like Microsoft and Alphabet are now operating under a survival of the biggest mandate, where the cost of failing to invest in AI infrastructure is perceived as far higher than the risk of overspending. FinancialContent
• [New] Google is aiming to pump $180 billion into building and equipping datacenters, while Meta expects capex in the range of $115 billion to $135 billion, and Microsoft is running at a pace that implies $120 billion a year in spending. The Register
• [New] Copilot is becoming more agent-like inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and Microsoft is strengthening governance and measurement so adoption can scale with less risk. 2toLead
• [New] Microsoft Purview is positioned as a key layer for managing oversharing risk, understanding how sensitive data is involved in Copilot interactions, and enforcing policies that match an organization's risk posture. 2toLead
• [New] Another attack targeted Microsoft Copilot, showing how prompt injection - a technique where attackers trick AI systems into ignoring safety guidelines - could lead to session hijacking and data theft. Your Site Name
• [New] After establishing contact through Microsoft Quick Assist, threat actors deploy secondary RMM tools and, in severe cases, escalate to Black Basta ransomware. eSentire
• [New] With the ever-evolving nature of cyber threats, staying informed on security patches from Microsoft is not just advisable; it is imperative for maintaining secure computing environments. Wintercorn - UK Joomla! and WordPress Experts
• [New] As a cloud service vulnerability, Microsoft has already deployed fixes across the Azure platform, eliminating the risk without requiring customer action. crowdstrike.com
• [New] Government collaborates with Microsoft and other world leading technology companies to create a framework which will identify gaps in deepfake detection. GOV.UK
• [New] UK partners with Microsoft and academics on deepfake detection evaluation framework Britain said it will work with Microsoft and experts to build a deepfake detection system and an evaluation framework to assess detection tools. Prompt Injection
• [New] There's going to be many investable opportunities outside of the GPU Builders, or the cloud hyperscalers that make up the rest of big tech, think Amazon, AMZN, Microsoft, MSFT or Alphabet, GOOG over the next few years. Nasdaq
• [New] While Nvidia and Microsoft saw gains, data analytics firms like Thomson Reuters and RELX faced significant selling pressure due to existential threats from AI models. Economic Times
• [New] The top four hyperscalers - Amazon, Microsoft MSFT-Q, Alphabet's Google GOOGL-Q and Meta META-Q - are expected to collectively spend more than $630 billion in 2026. The Globe and Mail
• [New] Microsoft plans to make the next Xbox a full Windows PC, sources say, with a controller-first interface by default and support for third-party stores such as Steam, GOG, and Epic. Bez Kabli
• [New] Several U.S. states are planning to reactivate shut-down nuclear power plants specifically to meet the needs of data centers - preparations are underway to restart the Three Mile Island (Pennsylvania) and Duane Arnold (Iowa) reactors by 2028, in cooperation with Microsoft and Google. TTMS
• [New] Short-term, expect increased volatility in tech stocks like Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., which are highly sensitive to the discount rates dictated by rising Treasury yields. FinancialContent
• [New] Microsoft, Stripe, and Alphabet collectively committed $1 billion to purchase carbon removal credits through 2030, creating guaranteed demand for verified removal tons. Wellows
• [New] The average American's skyrocketing electric bill has caught the attention of everyone from President Donald Trump to Microsoft executives - just do not expect lower rates in 2026. Business Insider
• [New] Microsoft's prediction that quantum computing will be solving problems in a matter of years may naturally produce some skepticism - fueled in part by the need for Microsoft to scale up the number of qubits on its Majorana Chip 1 by several orders of magnitude. IAPP.org
• [New] Musk seems to believe that combining SpaceX, Tesla and xAI will let him dominate the future of AI in a way that will be difficult for competitors like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft to match. New Scientist
• [New] The 101st Airborne Division developed a digital medical status reporting system, built on Microsoft Power BI, using real-time operational reports and environmental variables to predict disease and injury trends. Army Sustainment

Last updated: 15 February 2026