Microsoft is investing a whopping $3.3 billion in a new AI data center. It will be in Mountain Pleasant, Wisconsin and construction will begin next year. The U.S president Joe Bident visited Wisconsin to announce the plans of building the new AI data center. The project is expected to turn Wisconsin into a strategic hub for artificial intelligence and innovation and it will expand the capacity of the AI and cloud infrastructure within the U.S.
President Biden visits Wisconsin
President Biden visited the state of Wisconsin to announce the plan of building the new data center. The announcement event was near a site where former president Donald Trump promised to build a new manufacturing plant to make Apple American-made again. At the time, the Taiwanese semiconductor company Foxconn purchased a building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to make this vision a reality; however, that never happened.
Source: NBC News
Microsoft will utilize the investment of $3.3 billion in creating the country’s first AI co-innovation lab. It’s a manufacturing-focused AI lab and will be located on the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee campus. By 2030, the AI lab is expected to serve 270 companies and manufacturers. Achieving this goal will start by creating a connection between AI experts from Microsoft and Wisconsin companies to build AI and cloud solutions focused on business growth and acceleration.
The investment period is starting in 2024 and is expected to end by 2026. It will create long-term new jobs and boost the economy of the midwestern U.S. state. According to the tech giant, the project will create 2,000 permanent jobs and 2,300 union construction jobs by next year.
Microsoft upskills people in AI
Microsoft is planning to upskill more than 100,000 residents from Wisconsin in generative AI within the next six years through a new training program. The curriculum will teach people how to use a suite of Microsoft AI services and Microsoft Copilot to improve productivity. Microsoft will partner with numerous Wisconsin community partners to bring this goal to fruition.
Apart from training local residents of Wisconsin, Microsoft is planning to train 3,000 AI software developers through a partnership with Gateway Technical College. Additionally, the tech giant will create boot-camps targeting businesses and government leaders teaching them how to integrate artificial intelligence in their organizations.
Furthermore, the American multinational corporation is building an academy to train more than 1,000 students within five years. The academy will prepare students to work in the new AI data center and fill other related jobs within the state.
