Microsoft has announced its plans to establish a National Artificial Intelligence Excellence Center in Malaysia, along with enhancing cybersecurity capabilities. The tech giant also revealed that it will be investing $2.2 billion in Malaysia over the next four years to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence services.
This investment by Microsoft is the largest it has made in Malaysia in its 32-year history. The company aims to make significant advancements in the fields of cloud and artificial intelligence through this investment. Key focuses of this investment include providing the country with a cutting-edge AI infrastructure, equipping 200,000 individuals with AI skills to create job opportunities, and supporting local developers.
In addition, Microsoft intends to collaborate with the Malaysian government to establish the National Artificial Intelligence Excellence Center and bolster the country’s cybersecurity capabilities. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized the alignment of this investment with Malaysia’s efforts to enhance its AI capabilities during a meeting on Thursday.
During his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed the company’s commitment to making a tremendous contribution to Southeast Asia’s economy by 2030. Kearney research suggests that Malaysia is projected to gain $115 billion from the impact of artificial intelligence by that time.
Microsoft is dedicated to the global development of AI and cloud technologies. Just last week, Nadella announced a $1.7 billion investment in Indonesia and the opening of Microsoft’s first regional data center in Thailand. Additionally, on February 20, Microsoft revealed a further $2.1 billion investment in Spain to advance AI and cloud infrastructure. This investment followed their commitment of three billion euros to enhance Germany’s AI ecosystem.
As the European Union prepares to implement the landmark EU Artificial Intelligence Act, major tech companies are showing increasing interest in investing in AI in Europe. Google, for example, is leading this trend with its Artificial Intelligence Opportunity Initiative for Europe, which includes a 25 million Euro investment aimed at enhancing Europeans’ AI skills. Google plans to collaborate with local startups to boost Europe’s AI potential, with the support of EU governments, NGOs, academics, and businesses partnering to fund digital skills training for workers. Similarly, the Italian government launched a similar initiative in 2023, allocating millions of Euros to strengthen the digital skills of workers at risk of job loss due to automation and AI.
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