The tech giant Microsoft is preparing to invest €3.2 billion in Germany over the next two years, with a primary focus on strengthening artificial intelligence infrastructure. The public announcement was made by the company’s president and vice president Brad Smith during an event in Berlin on February 15, discussing future plans for participation in artificial intelligence and cloud development in the country.
Microsoft’s Significant Step Forward
Microsoft will focus on establishing new data centers in the country and training people in artificial intelligence skills development. According to Reuters, this move is considered Microsoft’s most significant investment in Germany in the last 40 years. Europe proves to be a fertile ground for investments by major technology developers. On the same day, France’s Ministry of Economy and Digital Sovereignty also announced Google’s plans to establish a new center dedicated to artificial intelligence in the country.
According to the announcement, the center will be set up in Paris and will host around 300 researchers and engineers to support the country’s artificial intelligence goals. This announcement came just days after Google’s February 12 declaration of the European Artificial Intelligence Opportunity Initiative. Google announced that it would invest €25 million to support the skill training of Europeans in the artificial intelligence sector as part of this initiative.
The European Union and the Field of Artificial Intelligence
Google stated that it is working to offer artificial intelligence training for local initiatives together with governments in the European Union, as well as civil society, academics, and businesses, targeting employees who need such skills to avoid being left behind, with €10 million allocated for this purpose.
The Italian government also launched a similar initiative in 2023, announcing that it would allocate millions of euros to improve the digital skills of workers at risk of losing their jobs due to automation and artificial intelligence. These investments in Europe’s artificial intelligence infrastructure and skills coincide with a period when members of the European Parliament are preparing to define the European Union’s landmark Artificial Intelligence Act.
On February 13, regulators approved the preliminary agreement for the legislation, with a parliamentary vote planned for April. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act will be one of the first sets of rules in the world to monitor the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence, following China, which published its own set of technology-related rules in August 2023.
