[France] Microsoft pledges €4 billion AI investment

On May 13, Microsoft announced a pledge to invest €4 billion this year to bolster France’s burgeoning AI sector, AP reports.

The move is the tech giant’s most substantial commitment yet to France and formed part of a broader effort unveiled during President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business Choose France event.

Choose France is an initiative intended to attract foreign investment and stimulate economic growth.

Brad Smith - Microsoft’s vice chair and president - visited Microsoft’s French HQ with the president.

“We will build out the computing capacity here in France," Mr Smith said. "We will put this infrastructure to work for everyone in France.”

Microsoft’s plan reportedly includes expanding next-generation Cloud and AI infrastructure and delivering up to 25,000 of the most advanced GPUs to France by the end of 2025.

It will also launch an AI skilling initiative to train one million French people by the end of 2027, underscoring the importance of giving citizens future-ready skills.

Choose France 2024 was held at the Palace of Versailles and attended by 180 international CEOs and senior business executives. It showcased foreign investments totalling a reported €15 billion; far exceeding 2023’s €13 billion raised via 28 projects.

Mr Macron spoke about the necessity of advancing AI technology in Europe. He told Microsoft staff, “We are entering a totally different world where the competition will be ferocious, and we can only win this competition if we have trusted partners, and you are among them.”

The investment reportedly reiterates Microsoft’s commitment to supporting French growth in the AI economy. It is a milestone in ongoing efforts to enhance France’s position as a global technology and innovation leader.

Source: AP (via Yahoo)

(Quotes via original reporting)

On May 13, Microsoft announced a pledge to invest €4 billion this year to bolster France’s burgeoning AI sector, AP reports.

The move is the tech giant’s most substantial commitment yet to France and formed part of a broader effort unveiled during President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business Choose France event.

Choose France is an initiative intended to attract foreign investment and stimulate economic growth.

Brad Smith - Microsoft’s vice chair and president - visited Microsoft’s French HQ with the president.

“We will build out the computing capacity here in France," Mr Smith said. "We will put this infrastructure to work for everyone in France.”

Microsoft’s plan reportedly includes expanding next-generation Cloud and AI infrastructure and delivering up to 25,000 of the most advanced GPUs to France by the end of 2025.

It will also launch an AI skilling initiative to train one million French people by the end of 2027, underscoring the importance of giving citizens future-ready skills.

Choose France 2024 was held at the Palace of Versailles and attended by 180 international CEOs and senior business executives. It showcased foreign investments totalling a reported €15 billion; far exceeding 2023’s €13 billion raised via 28 projects.

Mr Macron spoke about the necessity of advancing AI technology in Europe. He told Microsoft staff, “We are entering a totally different world where the competition will be ferocious, and we can only win this competition if we have trusted partners, and you are among them.”

The investment reportedly reiterates Microsoft’s commitment to supporting French growth in the AI economy. It is a milestone in ongoing efforts to enhance France’s position as a global technology and innovation leader.

Source: AP (via Yahoo)

(Quotes via original reporting)