Stockholm (awp/afp) – Microsoft will invest 33.7 billion crowns, or nearly 3 billion Swiss francs, in two years in artificial intelligence in Sweden, its largest investment in the country, announced the American giant Monday.
The group will train 250,000 people by 2027 to “increase knowledge and skills” in artificial intelligence and will also increase the capacities of its three data centers, it said in a press release.
Microsoft “announces the largest investment in its history in Sweden,” said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft at a press conference.
“This investment should enable Sweden to remain at the forefront of global competitiveness,” he added.
In recent months, the American group has announced investment programs of similar scale in other major countries in AI, for example in France where it has promised to invest 4 billion euros and in Japan ( 3 billions).
In Sweden, Microsoft will provide 20,000 advanced graphics processors, crucial for training AI models, and will strengthen the capacities of its data storage centers in Sandviken, Gävle and Staffanstorp.
“AI is a catalyst for many things,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented at the press conference.
“It will also help accelerate development in other areas. This huge investment in Sweden could pave the way for other investments,” he added.
In training, Microsoft is establishing an AI expert council that brings together leaders from academia, business and the public sector to determine and guide its curriculum.
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