Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Amazon's Free Credits for Startups Now Cover the Use of AI Models, Even From Competitors Like Meta The company says it has offered startups more than $6 billion in credits over the past 10 years.

By Sherin Shibu

Key Takeaways

  • Amazon Web Services will offer startups cloud storage for free for using AI developed by companies like Meta and Anthropic.
  • Amazon concluded its $4 billion investment in Anthropic last week.

Amazon Web Services will now allow its free credits program for startups to encompass the use of major AI models from other providers, including Meta, Mistral AI, and Cohere, in addition to its own AI platform Bedrock, the company told Reuters on Tuesday.

The move could attract more AI startup customers to the AWS platform and potentially minimize the cost that those startups incur by using AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated in January that developing the company's most advanced AI model took $100 million.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Adam Selipsky speaks with Anthropic CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei in November 2023. Photo by Noah Berger/Getty Images for Amazon Web Services

OpenAI rival Anthropic had to spend half of the revenue it generated in January paying cloud providers like Google and Amazon, according to The Information.

Related: Amazon Invests $4 Billion in ChatGPT Competitor, Making a Bold Move in the AI Arms Race

Amazon concluded its $4 billion investment in Anthropic last week, and covers Anthropic's AI models under its free credits program. Anthropic's latest AI model appeared to display "meta-awareness" in internal tests.

Amazon stated that it has offered startups more than $6 billion in credits over the past 10 years. The company plans to offer half a million dollars in credits to startups in Y Combinator's latest January cohort, per Reuters.

Amazon isn't the first company to offer free cloud credits for startups. Google is offering up to $350,000 in credits and IBM offers credits in a trial period.

Related: An OpenAI Rival Developed a Model That Appears to Have 'Metacognition,' Something Never Seen Before Publicly

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

There Are Certain Words That Will Break ChatGPT. I Tried Them — Here's What Happened.

ChatGPT appears to be unable to process requests that contain a few notable names.

Business Plans

'Irrelevance Is Worse Than Death': How This CEO's Competitive Drive Resulted in a Global Powerhouse AI Startup

From a sports-centric childhood in Boston to leading the global AI startup SuperNormal, Colin Treseler's journey is a masterclass in persistence, adaptability, and the art of using time wisely.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Tesla Cybertruck Factory Workers Reportedly Told 'You Do Not Need to Report to Work' for 3 Days This Week

According to a memo first viewed by Business Insider, Tesla factory workers in Austin were reportedly told to stay home Tuesday through Thursday.

Business News

'Subject to Apple's All-Seeing Eye': An Apple Manager Is Accusing the Tech Giant of Spying on Employees, According to a New Lawsuit

The employee alleges that Apple can conduct physical, video, and electronic surveillance of employees, even when they're off the clock.