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Microsoft Corp plans to invest $3.2 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud facilities in Sweden, its largest-ever infrastructure bet in the Nordic country drawing on the region\u2019s rich supply of green energy.<\/p>\n
The move cements the tech-giant\u2019s footprint in the nation by adding 20,000 of GPUs, or graphics processing units, at its three data centers. The company is also committing to training 250,000 in \u201cessential AI skills,\u201d according to a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis large investment reflects our belief in how much Sweden can benefit from AI,\u201d Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said in an interview. He praised the nation as \u201cone of the continent\u2019s most innovative countries,\u201d while adding that the nation will only remain a leader if it uses AI.<\/p>\n
The Nordic region has become a prime target for big energy users thanks to the abundance of clean energy, with hydropower dominating the power mix. Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc and Google-owner Alphabet Inc both have their own large facilities across the Nordics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Data centers compete with other industries looking to benefit from some of the cheapest electricity in the world. Several green mega-projects are expected to more than double power demand in the coming\u00a0decade<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n When asked about the risk of a looming power crunch, Microsoft\u2019s Smith said the company has coupled its data center investments with large bets on renewable energy. It has procured nearly 1 gigawatt of power as well as signed a contract with state-owned power company Vattenfall AB.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we could have made an investment such as the one we have done in Sweden without a partner like Vattenfall,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSubscribe to the Eye on AI newsletter to stay abreast of how AI is shaping the future of business. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n