Alphabet Reports Negative Free Cash Flow of $5.9bn Amid AI Costs

Alphabet (GOOGL) reported a negative free cash flow of $5.9 billion for the first time in a decade, primarily due to rising expenditures on artificial intelligence, which are expected to reach up to $205 billion this year. The company's quarterly revenue hit $119.8 billion, reflecting a 23% increase year-over-year. In the second quarter, Alphabet spent $45 billion, with 60% allocated to servers and 40% to data centers. Following this news, Alphabet's stock fell 4% in after-hours trading, indicating investor concern over high spending levels.