Logicata AI Bot
January 13, 2026
The Logicata AI Bot automatically transcribes our weekly LogiCast AWS News Podcasts and summarises them into informative blog posts using AWS Elemental MediaConvert, Amazon Transcribe and Amazon Bedrock, co-ordinated by AWS Step Functions.
In the latest episode of LogiCast, the AWS news podcast brought to you by Logicata, host Karl Robinson and co-host Jon Goodall were joined by special guest Allen Helton, an AWS Hero and ecosystem engineer at Momento. The trio delved into several significant AWS-related topics, offering insights and analysis on recent developments in the cloud computing landscape.
GPU Price Increases: A Precedent-Setting Move
The episode kicked off with a discussion about AWS’s recent decision to raise GPU prices by 15% for specific instance types. This move, which goes against AWS’s long-standing policy of only reducing prices, has sparked considerable debate in the cloud community.
Jon expressed his surprise at the price hike, noting, “It’s the first, I think I’m correct in saying, it’s the first specific price rise we’ve ever seen from the platform in what, two decades.” He emphasized that while this increase affects only very specific and large instances, it represents a significant shift in AWS’s pricing strategy.
Allen provided additional context, highlighting the potential long-term implications of this decision. He stated, “The important piece of the price hike is that the precedent has changed.” Allen expressed concern that this move could make future price increases easier and more frequent, potentially affecting a broader range of services in the future.
The hosts speculated on the reasons behind the price hike, with Jon suggesting it might be related to the increased demand for GPUs due to the AI boom and cryptocurrency mining. They also discussed the potential impact on customer trust and the long-standing argument against vendor lock-in.
Accelerating Cloud Modernization with AI
The conversation then shifted to a recent AWS blog post about agentic cloud modernization using AWS MCPs (Modular Content Providers) and Kiro. Jon, who has been experimenting extensively with these tools, shared his experiences and insights.
Jon explained how AI-powered tools like Kiro are revolutionizing the modernization process: “I do maybe 20% as much coding as I used to, right? I just kind of shout at Kiro and use agent credits.” He emphasized the increased productivity these tools bring to developers, especially when combined with MCPs that provide additional capabilities.
Allen added his perspective, noting that while the technology itself isn’t new, the approach to using it is evolving. He highlighted the value of AI in quickly analyzing and summarizing existing systems, stating, “Kiro can do that in minutes versus weeks of expensive consultancy time.”
Both experts agreed that while AI-powered tools significantly enhance productivity, they don’t eliminate the need for human expertise in cloud modernization projects.
AWS Expands Data Center Presence in Dublin
The podcast also covered AWS’s recent approval to build three new data centers in Dublin, Ireland. This expansion is seen as a strategic move to increase capacity in the European region and potentially improve service offerings for customers in the area.
Jon speculated on the reasons behind this expansion, saying, “I suspect the same is going to be happening in Ireland and London as well, but it’s easier to build that in Ireland than London because they’ve got the landmass.” He also noted that this expansion could be driven by the increasing demand for AI-related services.
Allen offered his thoughts on how this expansion might benefit developers, suggesting, “It’s likely bringing new instance types to EU West 1. And also speculating it could make potentially prices cheaper over there.” He added that increased capacity could potentially lead to lower data transfer prices in the region.
Optimizing Image Serving from S3
One of the highlights of the episode was a discussion of Allen’s recent blog post titled “When Serving Images from S3 Stopped Being Good Enough.” Allen shared his experience optimizing his personal website, Ready Set Cloud, which has grown from 100 visitors per month to nearly 100,000.
Allen explained that he initially used a simple setup with S3 for image hosting but realized he needed to optimize as his traffic grew. He said, “I started looking at that and it was like big red, it’s like everything that was hitting me was images. You’re serving too big of images, you’re not caching them.”
To address these issues, Allen implemented various optimizations, including image resizing and caching. He emphasized the importance of understanding Core Web Vitals and their impact on search engine rankings.
Jon commended Allen’s approach, noting, “We kind of said, ah, I’ll just slap a CDN in front of it, but it’s a bit of a faff, and then your pieces around imagery sizing and stuff is also very good.”
AWS Layoffs and Industry Trends
The episode concluded with a discussion of recent layoffs at AWS, which have affected several hundred employees. While the news has caused concern, the hosts put the numbers into perspective, noting that it’s a relatively small proportion of AWS’s total workforce.
Allen provided industry context, saying, “They’re not the only ones to have done layoffs so far in 2024. You know, Meta laid off 1500 employees last week, and, you know, there’s been a few others, but not from major companies.”
The hosts expressed sympathy for those affected by the layoffs while also discussing the broader trends in tech industry hiring and layoffs for 2024.
Conclusion
This episode of LogiCast provided a comprehensive overview of recent AWS news, from pricing changes and infrastructure expansions to technological advancements and industry trends. The insights shared by Karl Robinson, Jon Goodall, and guest Allen Helton offer valuable perspectives for AWS users and industry observers alike.
As the cloud computing landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about these developments is crucial for businesses and professionals leveraging AWS services. The discussions in this episode highlight the ongoing changes in the industry and the importance of adapting to new technologies and market conditions.
This is an AI generated piece of content, based on the Logicast Podcast Season 5, Episode 2.
