German chancellor welcomes Microsoft’s $3.5 billion AI investment in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed an announcement by Microsoft that it would invest almost 3.3 billion euros, or about $3.5 billion, in Germany over the next two years to massively expand its data center capacities for applications in the field of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Scholz said on Thursday it’s “a really good commitment to progress, to growth, to modernity and to global openness as the basis for these opportunities.” Microsoft President Brad Smith made the announcement in Berlin during a presentation with Scholz. German news agency dpa reported that the largest single investment in Microsoft’s 40-year history in Germany also includes an AI training program that aims to reach up to 1.2 million people.