Microsoft commits $50 B to Global South AI
US tech giant will expand AI infrastructure, digital skills, and innovation across developing regions by 2030.
Image for illustrative purposes / Credit: Skorzewiak, Shutterstock.com
India, New Delhi: Microsoft announced that it plans to invest approximately $50 B by the end of the decade to boost artificial intelligence capabilities in countries across the Global South. The announcement was made at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where executives from leading AI firms met with world leaders.
The investment aims to bridge the growing AI divide, strengthen infrastructure, develop digital skills, support community-led innovation, and improve multilingual AI capabilities. Microsoft highlighted that AI adoption in advanced economies is nearly double that of developing regions, warning that unequal access could deepen economic disparities if not addressed urgently.
In the last fiscal year, Microsoft invested over $8 B in data centre infrastructure serving the Global South, including facilities in India, Mexico, Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The company is also expanding internet access to underserved communities, aiming to connect 250 million people globally, including 100 million in Africa.
As part of its Elevate programme, Microsoft plans to train two million teachers and equip eight million students with AI skills. Last year, the company invested more than $2B in grants, technology donations, and training initiatives for schools and nonprofits in developing markets.
Microsoft also revealed plans to improve AI performance in underrepresented languages by investing in language data and evaluation tools, particularly across Africa and Asia. Data from the summit will contribute to a forthcoming Global AI Adoption Index led by the World Bank.
The company stressed that achieving these goals will require strong partnerships with local governments, organisations, and developers, building on India’s fast-growing developer community of 24 million on GitHub.
Source: Upstox
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