On Thursday, Microsoft announced its intention to contribute $2.2 billion to the progress of AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud computing infrastructure in Malaysia. The initiative has a target of reinforcing the nation’s AI ecosystem, promoting innovation and technological development .
The tour of Southeast Asia by Satya Nadella, the CEO of the tech giant, is led to Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. On this trip, he will showcase the vast investments in data centers, AI advancements, and cloud services.
Reports show that the funds allocated will also be utilized on the development of AI and cloud infrastructure in Malaysia. This initiative is implemented through the establishment of an AI center of excellence and provision of AI training to 200,000 Malaysian.
Through Nadella`s official statement, he resonated that Microsoft stands for actively assisting with implementation of AI in Malaysia with everyone having the opportunity to knowledge without risking the benefits.
“Our digital infrastructure investment and skill development are dedicated to not only equipping but also empowering Malaysian businesses, communities, and developers to be able to use the latest technology in enhancing economic inclusion and innovation at the national level.”
In his speech, he summarized their investments, glad of announcing its expansion. “For sure we’re very pleased about building this quality infrastructure at home but also at the international level and this is not just about innovating locally but on a global scale which every organization, software developer and start-up man can utilize as well,” he added.
The investment was announced after the visit of the ambassador on the occasion of Thailand’s first cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure’s unveiling and the setting up of Thailand’s first data center region earlier this week. As per the report of global consulting company Kearney noted in the press release, AI will add on to the Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product to the tune of $1 trillion by 2030 and Malaysia alone will get over a tenth of that amount.
In this regard, Malaysian Trade Minister Zafrul Abdul Aziz stated that the cloud and AI infrastructure development offered by Microsoft as well as the provision of opportunities for AI skills are going to help the country develop its digital capabilities.
Microsoft started its operations in Malaysia in 1992 and today runs its Kuala Lumpur and its northern Penang state office with over 200 employees. The company’s move into advancing generative AI technology through its $13 billion partnership with OpenAI which is the developer behind ChatGPT, a large language model, has made it gain a considerable investor interest in 2023.
Last week, Nadella disclosed that the company’s income for sales during January-March rose by 17 percent year-on-year to $61.9 billion, while net profit went up by 20 percent to $21.9 billion. AI has played a significant role in sales and is the key to Microsoft’s cloud services, including Azure, which are now at the center of the company’s business under the leadership of Nadella.
