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Microsoft announces glut of new data centers but says it won’t let your electricity bill go up

Plus: Airbnb Appoints Former Meta AI Executive CTO

Author

Hafizur Rahman
January 14, 2026

In partnership with

Today's Newsletter Highlights:

  • Microsoft announces glut of new data centers but says it won’t let your electricity bill go up

  • VoiceRun nabs $5.5M to build a voice agent factory

  • Airbnb Appoints Former Meta AI Executive CTO

  • Best AI Tools

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Microsoft announces glut of new data centers but says it won’t let your electricity bill go up

Microsoft announced a big expansion of data centres in the U.S. This is part of its investment in AI infrastructure. This effort is branded as the “Community-First AI Infrastructure” initiative. It's aimed at meeting rising power demands and addressing local concerns.

Key Points :

  • Microsoft promised that the new data centres won’t raise local electricity bills for residents. To achieve this, the company will:

  • Work with utility companies to make sure data centres pay higher electricity rates. This should reflect their real grid costs and avoid subsidies for residential customers.

  • Pay fair utility rates and help with grid upgrades when needed. This way, infrastructure expansion won’t cause higher bills for nearby residents.

  • Pay full local property taxes instead of accepting tax breaks for these facilities. This supports community services.

  • Microsoft President Brad Smith said the aim is to "ensure electricity costs aren't passed on to residential customers.""

  • Other Community Measures

  • The plan also includes further commitments:

  • Water stewardship: Use less water than the centres replenish and share local water-use data.

  • Local benefits: Provide job training and support AI education in nearby communities.

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VoiceRun nabs $5.5M to build a voice agent factory

VoiceRun, an AI startup focused on voice agents, has secured $5.5 million in seed funding. Flybridge Capital Partners led this round. RRE Ventures and Link Ventures joined in, too.

The funds will help VoiceRun scale its technology and marketing efforts as it develops a “voice agent factory.” This platform will assist developers in creating and deploying high-quality AI voice assistants.

Key Points :

  • VoiceRun’s platform aims to fill gaps in the current voice AI landscape:

  • Code-first approach: Unlike no-code tools that let users create simple voice bots visually, VoiceRun allows developers to use code—like Python or TypeScript—to define how their voice agents operate. This gives teams more control, flexibility, and customisation.

  • Orchestration layer: The platform brings together speech-to-text (STT), large language models (LLMs), text-to-speech (TTS), telephony systems, and more. This helps teams deploy voice agents in real-world situations without needing to build all the infrastructure from scratch.

  • Enterprise Focus: VoiceRun aims at enterprise developers. These developers plan to add voice AI to customer support, phone systems, reservations, and other interactive apps. It offers tools for versioning, testing, deployment, and monitoring.

  • 🏭 Why “Voice Agent Factory”?

  • VoiceRun’s founders think the voice agent factory will simplify and standardise the creation of voice assistants. This mirrors what modern software platforms have done for web and mobile apps, focusing on production-grade voice AI.

  • Their platform offers a solid, scalable base for building reliable, feature-rich voice agents. This is better than just using simple visual builders or starting from scratch.

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Airbnb Appoints Former Meta AI Executive CTO

Airbnb has named Ahmad Al-Dahle as its new Chief Technology Officer. He is a former executive from Meta Platforms, where he led generative AI efforts. This appointment highlights Airbnb’s focus on AI in its products and services.

Key Points :

  • Al-Dahle led Meta’s generative AI group. He worked with the team that created the Llama AI models.

  • Before joining Meta, he worked at Apple for many years. There, he helped develop key technologies, including the iPhone.

  • What This Means for Airbnb

  • Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, praised Al-Dahle for blending “big ideas with technical depth” while focusing on design. This suggests that AI will be key in future product development.

  • The company is launching AI agents and features. These will boost customer service, personalise recommendations, and improve travel planning. This shift moves Airbnb from a simple listing site to a more tech-focused platform.

  • Leadership Transition

  • Al-Dahle takes over from Aristotle Balogh, who held the CTO role for over seven years. Balogh will now advise during this leadership transition.

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