PARIS (AP) — Microsoft on Monday announced its most substantial commitment to France yet, spending 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) this year to strengthen the country’s booming artificial intelligence sector. He promised to invest.
The move is part of a broader initiative announced at President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business event “Choose France” aimed at attracting foreign investment and stimulating economic growth.
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chairman and president, visited the company’s French headquarters with Macron.
“We will build computing capacity here in France,” Smith said. “We will utilize this infrastructure for the benefit of everyone in France.”
The plan includes expanding next-generation cloud and AI infrastructure and delivering up to 25,000 cutting-edge GPUs (graphics processing units) to France by the end of 2025.
Additionally, Microsoft has launched an AI upskilling initiative to train one million French people by the end of 2027, underscoring the importance of equipping the population with future-ready skills.
The announcement was made as part of the annual “Choose France” summit, founded by Macron in 2018. The summit, held this year at the Palace of Versailles, was attended by 180 international CEOs and senior executives. The report highlights foreign investments reported to total €15 billion, more than last year’s €13 billion raised through 28 projects.
Citing the need for advances in AI technology in Europe, Macron told Microsoft staff: “We are entering a completely different world with fierce competition. We can win this competition. That’s only if you have trusted partners and you are one of them.”
This significant investment underscores Microsoft’s commitment to supporting France’s growth in the AI economy and is a milestone in our continued efforts to strengthen France’s position as a global leader in technology and innovation. This is what will happen.
