Data Center Transparency
Amazon states it will discontinue the use of nondisclosure agreements when negotiating data center agreements with local governments, following a similar shift by Microsoft earlier in the year. The traditional secrecy surrounding these negotiations has driven community resistance against artificial intelligence infrastructure, resulting in hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums spanning regions from New York to San Francisco. Simultaneously, various startups are emerging with the premise that users will eventually grant artificial intelligence agents access to personal inboxes, documents, and financial accounts, provided they can successfully navigate restrictions imposed by external websites.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Anthony Ha, Sean O’Kane, and Rebecca Bellan dig into whether ditching NDAs will change how data center deals get done, why trust may be the real product for personal AI startups, plus a couple of deals of the week.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
• The White House’s plans to make plans with its new Super Intelligence Force
AI Hardware and Agent Development
Specialized hardware is also emerging to support continuous agent execution, such as dedicated computer systems priced for round-the-clock workloads. Companies including Tab, Underdog, and Hark are positioning data privacy as a core offering while exploring business models that could integrate commercial capabilities directly into personal assistant workflows.
• Tab, Underdog, and Hark pitching privacy as their product, plus the business model that could turn your agent into a salesperson
Platform Restrictions
Major technology and service platforms, including United, Apple, and Amazon, have begun implementing technical barriers to restrict access by third-party autonomous agents. These defensive measures highlight ongoing friction between platform owners and developers seeking to automate user interactions across the web.
Infrastructure Financing
Infrastructure investments continue to scale significantly across the sector, highlighted by major funding rounds and substantial multi-billion-dollar backlogs tied to specialized AI cloud providers.
• Uber’s $2.3 billion all-cash deal to get into the office catering space with ezCater
We’ll see you next week at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026! Get 25% off your tickets with code Equity25, and we’ll see you on the Builders Stage Tuesday at 9 am.
