Microsoft Announces $4.3-Billion Investment In France, Focus On AI & Data Centres

Microsoft has announced Euro 4-billion (US$4.3 bn) in investment for developing data centres and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in France. The announcement was made by Microsoft President Brad Smith in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron at the ‘Choose France Summit’ which began Monday, May 13. The summit is being hosted at the magnificent Chateau of Versailles near Paris. Microsoft's president Brad Smith has said the move to strengthen its artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure was the tech giant's biggest-ever investment in France since its arrival 41 years ago. A new data centre will be created in eastern France, while existing sites in the Paris region and the southern city of Marseille will be expanded. The deal comes on the heels of Microsoft announcing a $1.7-bn investment in AI and Cloud infrastructure in Indonesia and a $2.2-bn investment in Malaysia in similar sectors. Microsoft has also bought stake in a UAE-based firm for $1.5 bn mid-April. All these announcements have been made in the past one month.