**Jeff Bezos Seeks $100 Billion to Transform Old Manufacturing Firms with AI** Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is reportedly seeking $100 billion for a new fund aimed at buying and modernizing companies in major industrial sectors using artificial intelligence (AI). According to sources cited by the _Wall Street Journal_, Bezos plans to use this fund to acquire companies in sectors such as aerospace, chipmaking, and defense, with the ultimate goal of transforming them using AI models developed by his startup, Project Prometheus. The effort is closely tied to Project Prometheus, an AI startup launched in November with $6.2 billion in funding. Bezos serves as the co-founder and co-CEO of Prometheus, alongside former Google executive Vik Bajaj. The company's mission is to create high-level AI models that can improve manufacturing and engineering in various sectors, including aerospace, automotive, and others. Bezos' recent travels to Singapore and the Middle East are reportedly part of his efforts to raise funds for the new manufacturing fund. The plan is to acquire companies in areas that can benefit from Prometheus' AI models, with the goal of transforming them to become more efficient and productive. By leveraging AI technology, Bezos aims to modernize and automate these companies, potentially leading to significant improvements in their operations and competitiveness. In a statement, TechCrunch reached out to Bezos via Amazon for more information about the new fund, but the company did not provide any further details. The exact scope and timeline of the project remain unclear, but the reported $100 billion fund is a significant indication of Bezos' ambitions in the field of AI-driven manufacturing. As the effort continues to unfold, it will be interesting to see how Bezos and his team plan to execute this vision and what impact it may have on the industries involved.