Microsoft Pledges $50 Billion for AI in Global South

Microsoft announced on February 18 its commitment to investing $50 billion by the end of the decade to enhance access to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in countries within the “Global South.” The declaration took place at an AI summit in New Delhi, as reported by Reuters, where top executives from leading technology firms engaged with political leaders to deliberate on the governance and implementation of emerging AI systems. The “Global South” term typically refers to developing, emerging, or lower-income nations, many of which are situated in the southern hemisphere. Microsoft emphasized that the allocated funds would bolster infrastructure, cloud capabilities, and AI utilization in these markets, without providing a detailed breakdown of the investments per country. Notably, Microsoft had disclosed $17.5 billion in AI-focused investments in India the previous year.