Last week delivered several notable events across the tech world, with one story dominating the conversation: a major Cloudflare outage that briefly shook large parts of the internet. Alongside that, the broader industry continued its rapid shift toward AI, cloud expansion, and restructurings across major technology companies. Here’s a clear breakdown of what happened and why it mattered.

Cloudflare’s Outage Disrupts Large Portions of the Web

On 18 November 2025, Cloudflare experienced a global outage that affected thousands of websites and applications. Because Cloudflare sits in front of such a large share of the web, its downtime quickly became noticeable to users and companies alike.

The issue stemmed from an internal configuration problem in Cloudflare’s Bot Management system. A feature file grew far larger than intended and was propagated across their global network. Once that file reached enough systems, it triggered widespread failures that led to HTTP 5xx errors, slow responses, and sudden downtime for many well-known platforms.

Cloudflare confirmed that the outage was not caused by a cyberattack. It was simply an internal error that had broader consequences because of the scale at which the company operates. Services were gradually restored over the course of the afternoon, though some platforms took longer to return to normal.

This event served as a reminder of how interconnected the modern internet has become. When one major infrastructure provider has an issue, the ripple effect can be felt across a surprising number of apps, services, and tools people use every day.

AI and Cloud Spending Continue to Rise

Beyond network infrastructure, the week also brought continued momentum in AI investment. Several large tech companies moved to raise capital specifically to expand AI and cloud capacity. This includes major commitments to data centers, specialised chips, and long-term research.

This shift highlights how central AI workloads are becoming to the strategies of major tech players. Companies are no longer treating AI as an add-on; they are restructuring entire parts of their operations around it.

New Reports Point to Accelerating Automation

A new study published in the UK suggested that up to 3 million low-skilled jobs may be automated by 2035 due to advances in artificial intelligence. While forecasts vary widely, the report reinforces ongoing discussions about how technology will reshape work and economic policy over the next decade.

Layoffs and Restructuring in Big Tech

Another part of the week’s news cycle saw restructuring at several hardware and electronics companies. HP Inc. announced plans to reduce its workforce by up to 6,000 roles by 2028. Reports also surfaced suggesting that Apple had quietly reduced certain sales positions.

These moves reflect broader trends in the sector as companies rebalance traditional divisions while investing more heavily in AI and cloud infrastructure.

Digital Transformation Momentum in MENA

A new GSMA report highlighted that the Middle East and North Africa region is rapidly emerging as a leader in adopting new technologies such as AI, IoT, and 5G. With strong government investment and national digital strategies, the region is moving faster than many traditional tech markets in rolling out large-scale projects.

This growth makes the region increasingly important in the global tech landscape and signals rising opportunities for new products and services there.

Final Thoughts

While the Cloudflare outage understandably took the spotlight, last week offered a snapshot of a tech industry in transition. Infrastructure reliability, AI expansion, global digital transformation, and workforce reshaping all played prominent roles in the news cycle.