Tuesday, April 30, 2024

"Microsoft boss charms Indonesia with $1.7B AI, cloud injection"

From The Register, April 30: 

Promises to train 850,000 workers and build datacenters

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company will invest $1.7 billion in expanding its presence and building datacenters in Indonesia.

Nadella announced the investment during his grand tour of Southeast Asia, the same region Apple CEO Tim Cook visited earlier this month. During his trip to the island country, Nadella met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his cabinet to discuss AI. In a blog post, Microsoft said it plans to "transform the nation into a global economic powerhouse."

"This new generation of AI is reshaping how people live and work everywhere, including in Indonesia," Nadella said. "The investments we are announcing today – spanning digital infrastructure, skilling, and support for developers – will help Indonesia thrive in this new era."

To support this infrastructure, Microsoft will train 840,000 Indonesians in AI, a big chunk of the 2.5 million AI trainees envisioned across Southeast Asia. It seems plans for the datacenters aren't set in stone yet, but according to Reuters, President Widodo said the small island of Bali just east of Java and the soon-to-be new capital city of Nusantara on the island of Borneo would both be good options....

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