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Metagenomi Uses Amazon’s AI Chips to Power Next-Gen Gene Editing

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Biotech company Metagenomi (MGX.O) has begun using Amazon Web Services’ custom AI chips to accelerate the discovery of new gene-editing technologies, marking one of the first major biotech applications of Amazon’s in-house silicon beyond large language models and chatbots.

The Emeryville, California-based firm, which is developing tools to deliver gene therapies directly into human cells, said AWS Inferentia chips have given it a major cost advantage over Nvidia’s AI hardware, cutting computational expenses by about half while maintaining comparable performance.

Metagenomi’s approach relies heavily on artificial intelligence to design and test enzymes capable of safely editing DNA. The company scans nature for rare proteins that might serve as effective delivery vehicles for genetic material and then uses AI to generate millions of variants in search of the most effective designs.

“We generated over a million different proteins from a rare class of enzymes used in gene editing,” said Chris Brown, Metagenomi’s head of discovery. “It was a clear cost advantage to use the Inferentia platform. Unless you cast a broad enough net early, you risk missing key breakthroughs entirely.”

Amazon’s Inferentia chips, first introduced in 2019 to enhance the AI capabilities of its Alexa virtual assistant, are now being used by other industries beyond software — with biotechnology emerging as a new frontier for AI-driven hardware.

By applying cloud-based AI to the complex problem of gene delivery and editing, Metagenomi hopes to make treatments for genetic disorders faster and more affordable, while demonstrating how custom AI infrastructure can accelerate scientific discovery.

Amazon Cloud Outage Disrupts Global Online Services, Gradual Recovery Underway

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Amazon’s cloud computing giant, Amazon Web Services (AWS), faced a major outage on Monday that disrupted numerous online platforms — from banking and social media services to business applications worldwide. Although the system is slowly recovering, the incident underscored how dependent the modern digital ecosystem is on AWS’s infrastructure.

According to Amazon, the disruption was triggered by a Domain Name System (DNS) failure that prevented applications from locating the correct address for DynamoDB — a key database service used to store user data and other critical information. The DNS essentially functions as the internet’s phone book, converting domain names into numerical IP addresses. Without it, apps could not reach the required servers.

The root of the issue was traced to AWS’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) network in the US-EAST-1 region, located in northern Virginia — one of the company’s most frequently used and default data centers. This region has been the source of several previous incidents, including a 2023 capacity issue that affected AWS Lambda services and a 2021 congestion event that paralyzed popular tools like Ring, Chime, and iRobot devices.

Despite the recent disruption, AWS continues to dominate the cloud market, reporting a revenue of $30.9 billion in the second quarter of this year — an 18% increase compared to the previous year. The event, however, has reignited discussions about the fragility of centralized cloud infrastructures and the global ripple effects of regional failures.

Amazon’s AWS Partners with NBA to Power New AI Basketball Platform

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Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com, has signed a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to create AI-driven features, analytics, and fan experiences across the league’s digital platforms.

The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, will debut “NBA Inside the Game”, a new AI-powered platform designed to transform in-game data into interactive insights for fans, teams, and broadcasters. The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.

A NEW ERA OF DATA-DRIVEN BASKETBALL

The NBA’s new system will leverage AWS’s machine learning and data processing tools to analyze real-time game statistics and produce advanced visualizations. The features will appear across live broadcasts, the NBA App, the league’s official website, and social media channels, providing deeper, faster, and more personalized insights into gameplay.

Fans will be able to see advanced statistics — such as defensive positioning, shot success probabilities, and team strategy analytics — generated instantly by AI models trained on player and game data.

Teams will also gain access to the data, enabling them to review matches, adjust strategies, and identify player performance trends.

“Whenever we build a statistic, there is always input from our teams,” said Ken DeGennaro, the NBA’s Head of Media Operations and Technology. “We want to ensure that these services not only engage fans but also help our teams improve their on-court strategies.”

AI’S GROWING PRESENCE IN SPORTS

The partnership reflects a broader trend in global sports toward AI integration, where leagues increasingly partner with tech giants to enhance both fan engagement and team performance.

Earlier this year, Microsoft signed a five-year deal with the English Premier League to embed its AI Copilot technology into the league’s digital ecosystem, illustrating how artificial intelligence is reshaping the business of sports.

For AWS, the deal strengthens its expanding presence in sports analytics — a field where its technology already powers insights for organizations like Formula 1, the NFL, and Bundesliga.

As part of the NBA collaboration, AWS will handle data collection, analysis, and visualization in real time, helping redefine how fans experience basketball and how coaches and players analyze it.