US tech giant Microsoft announced a series of major investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Indonesia and Thailand as its CEO Satya Nadella toured the region.
Speaking at an event in Bangkok yesterday, Nadella announced that Microsoft plans to open its first regional data center with the aim of increasing the availability of its Azure cloud computing platform in the country. “What this means is that in Thailand he not only has access to the full capabilities of Azure, but he also has access to the world’s best AI It’s about having access to infrastructure.”
In a statement released at the same time, Microsoft said the data center would “expand the availability of Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud services” and “provide opportunities for more than 100,000 people to gain AI skills and support growing domestic development.” “We will support the community of people.”
In a social media post cited by Reuters, Thai Prime Minister Suretta Thavisin said the investment marks “an important turning point in the development of Thailand’s digital economy,” increasing the country’s competitiveness and boosting economic growth. Then he said.
Nadella’s visit to Thailand was part of a quick tour of three Southeast Asian countries aimed at promoting Microsoft’s generative AI technology.
A day earlier in Jakarta, Microsoft’s CEO announced that the company will invest $1.7 billion over the next four years to expand its cloud services and data centers to expand AI infrastructure in Indonesia.
At a similar event in Jakarta, Nadella said Microsoft is “bringing the latest and greatest AI infrastructure to Indonesia.” Nadella said the company’s goal is to train 2.5 million people in Southeast Asia to use AI by 2025, including 840,000 people in Indonesia.
“We’re going to lead this wave in terms of the next generation AI infrastructure that’s needed. And of course we’re going to choose the best model,” he said, adding that Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service said Mistral AI, a French open source startup in which Microsoft is a major investor.
Apple said in a statement that the $1.7 billion “represents the single largest investment” in the company’s 29-year history in Indonesia. During Nadella’s meeting with President Joko Widodo, the Indonesian leader suggested building a new Microsoft facility in Bali or in Indonesia’s planned new capital of Borneo, Nusantara, Nikkei Asia reported. Ta.
It’s no surprise that Microsoft is interested in Southeast Asia. The region, with a population of more than 690 million people, is becoming increasingly important as both a market and a manufacturing hub, especially for U.S. companies looking to reduce their dependence on Chinese supply chains. Many countries in the region have a mutual interest in investment from the US tech giant, given that some countries are concerned about China’s increasingly prominent position in the technology sector. Nadella’s visit comes not long after his rival, Apple’s Tim Cook, toured Southeast Asia himself, stopping in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.
During his visit, he announced a series of similar investment plans, including a $250 million expansion of the company’s Singapore headquarters. He also committed to investing in Vietnam, saying he plans to source more parts for his equipment from Vietnamese suppliers and would “consider” opening a factory in Indonesia. The company is also close to opening Malaysia’s first Apple Store in Kuala Lumpur’s upscale shopping mall Exchange, which will complement its three stores in Singapore and two in Thailand, according to Bloomberg.
Mr Nadella is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia today.
