Microsoft to invest €3bn in AI facilities in Australia

Spending amounts to a charm offensive by company in a country that began public consultation this year over regulation of AI

Microsoft will spend A$5bn (€3bn) expanding its artificial intelligence, or AI, and cloud computing abilities in Australia.

Microsoft said it will spend A$5bn (€3bn) expanding its artificial intelligence, or AI, and cloud computing abilities in Australia over two years as part of a wide-ranging effort that includes skills training and cyber security.

The US tech giant - which employs 3,500 people in Ireland - said it would raise its computing capacity in Australia by 250%, enabling the world's No. 13 economy to meet demand for cloud computing - the practice of storing data on a separate network - which was expected to double from 2022 to 2026 as AI became more prevalent.