Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matthew Garman is defending the company’s decision to invest billions of dollars in both OpenAI and Anthropic, two major competitors in the AI race. Speaking at the 2026 HumanX conference, Garman said AWS has long embraced “coopetition,” the tradition of working with rival partners. He stated that the investment was still “business as usual,” as AWS focuses on growing its position in the fast-paced AI market.
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Trade AMZN with leverageAWS Says Backing OpenAI and Anthropic Is “Business as Usual”
AWS recently committed up to $50 billion to OpenAI while continuing its earlier backing of Anthropic. The cloud computing giant had previously invested roughly $8 billion in Anthropic in 2025, including a $4 billion commitment that made AWS its primary cloud provider.
This dual investment strategy is a clear contrast to how traditional cloud vendors usually work with AI developers. Rather than treating the deal as a conflict of interest, Garman argued that AWS has long worked in environments where partners have also been competitors.
At the HumanX conference in San Francisco, he explained that AWS has spent years learning how to work with companies it might later compete against. “We also knew that we would have to compete with our partners, because technology is interconnected,” Garman said. “So for a very long time, we’ve built this muscle up of how we go to market with our partners.”
AWS Partnership Strategy Keeps Company Central in the AI Race
AWS is taking a unique strategy to maintain its position in the AI race. Back in 2006, technology partners generally avoided competing with companies that helped them grow. But Amazon (AMZN), alongside many other AI companies, takes a different approach by backing competing companies.
For instance, when Anthropic raised $30 billion in February, some of its investors, like Microsoft (MSFT), also backed OpenAI. Even big rivals like Oracle (ORCL) now sell some services through AWS infrastructure. Notably, Garman has said the company has clear safeguards in place to avoid conflicts of interest. He stressed that AWS does not give itself unfair advantages over its partners.
Garman also outlined AWS’s long-term AI strategy. The company is building its own models while continuing to work with external labs to improve its advanced systems. The AWS CEO also said that he sees the company’s unique strategy as a strength, not a weakness. He added that giving customers choices and staying neutral are still key to the company’s role in the AI industry.
What is the Best AI Stock to Buy Now?
OpenAI and Anthropic are still private companies ahead of potential IPOs in 2026. In the meantime, investors interested in the AI sector can watch stocks that Wall Street analysts have rated a “Strong Buy.” These include AMZN, Nvidia (NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), and Alphabet Class A (GOOGL)—all trackable on TipRanks Stocks Comparison Center.
