Microsoft's $50B Plan to Close the Global AI Divide

"Microsoft is on pace to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to expand AI infrastructure, skills, and localized capabilities across countries in the Global South. The commitment, announced at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, is framed as a response to widening adoption gaps. Microsoft's research found AI usage reached 24.7% in the Global North in the second half of 2025, compared with 14.1% in the Global South."

"Over the last fiscal year, Microsoft invested more than $8 billion in data center infrastructure serving the Global South, adding capacity in India, Mexico, and countries across Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Connectivity is the other baseline. Microsoft is pursuing a goal of extending internet access to 250 million people in unserved and underserved communities across the Global South, including 100 million people in Africa."

Microsoft plans to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to expand AI infrastructure, skills, and localized capabilities across the Global South. Microsoft's research found AI usage reached 24.7% in the Global North in the second half of 2025, compared with 14.1% in the Global South. Uneven access to electricity, connectivity, data centers, and digital skills is limiting uptake and could deepen existing economic divides without coordinated action. Over the last fiscal year Microsoft invested more than $8 billion in data center infrastructure serving the Global South and more than $2 billion in cloud, AI, and digital technology programs for schools and nonprofits. The company aims to extend internet access to 250 million people, including 100 million in Africa.

Read at TechRepublic