German Chancellor welcomes Microsoft’s $3.5 billion investment in artificial intelligence in Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed Thursday’s announcement by Microsoft to invest nearly 3.3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in Germany over the next two years to massively expand its data center capacity for artificial intelligence. Applications in the field of intelligence and cloud computing.

“This is a sound commitment to progress, growth, modernization and global openness as the basis for these opportunities,” he said, adding that it was also consistent with “Germany remaining firmly committed to being an open economy.” Facts related. “

“Not only are we probably the most successful export economy in the world for the size of our country, but we are also a country that trades with the world, invests everywhere and invests in our own country,” he said . explain.

Microsoft President Brad Smith made the announcement during a speech with Scholz in Berlin. According to German news agency dpa, Microsoft’s largest single investment in Germany’s 40-year history also includes an artificial intelligence training program aimed at reaching up to 1.2 million people.

Microsoft wants to stay close to major customers such as pharmaceutical company Bayer AG and energy company RWE to reduce data latency between data centers and applications as much as possible. The central German state of Hesse will also benefit from Microsoft’s investment.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from Yonhap News Agency-The Associated Press)