Recently, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella held a meeting with US President-elect Trump and Elon Musk to discuss artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. The meeting marks a further development in the relationship between the tech industry and the new government, and reflects the growing importance of the artificial intelligence field and its impact on future policy. During the meeting, Microsoft announced that it will invest US$80 billion in artificial intelligence data centers around the world, of which more than US$50 billion will be spent in the United States. This will create a large number of jobs in the United States and further promote the development of artificial intelligence technology.
According to Microsoft's statement, the meeting mentioned that the company plans to invest US$80 billion in the construction of artificial intelligence data centers globally, of which more than US$50 billion will be spent in the United States, which is expected to create a large number of jobs in the United States. Microsoft President Brad Smith also participated in the meeting, and Trump's running mate JD Vance was also present.
Relations between Silicon Valley and Trump have gradually warmed since Trump won the presidential election last year, despite frequent friction during his first term. Many tech leaders chose to travel to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where Trump and Musk held a series of private meetings and dinners to discuss future plans.
Smith warned the incoming Trump administration at the meeting that regulatory measures should not be too stringent when it comes to artificial intelligence. He pointed out that the current top priority of public policy in the United States should be to ensure that the private sector can develop smoothly. He stressed the need for a pragmatic export control policy that balances strong security protections for AI components in trusted data centers with the ability of U.S. companies to expand rapidly to provide reliable supply to U.S. allies and friends.
As demand for artificial intelligence services surges, cloud infrastructure providers such as Microsoft and Amazon are scrambling to expand computing power and build new data centers. In the last fiscal year ending in June 2024, Microsoft's capital expenditures exceeded US$50 billion, most of which was used for the construction of server farms, mainly to meet the demand for artificial intelligence services.
The construction of data centers requires a large number of high-performance chips, and Microsoft works closely with many companies, including Nvidia and Dell Technologies. In addition, to meet its huge energy needs, Microsoft even reached an agreement with the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant to restart the reactor. The plant is famous for its partial meltdown in 1979, and Amazon and Google have similar nuclear power deals.
Highlight:
The meeting discussed Microsoft's plan to invest US$80 billion in global AI data centers, of which US$50 billion will be spent in the United States.
Silicon Valley hopes to build better relations with the Trump administration, and tech leaders frequently visit Trump's estate.
The construction of data centers requires a large number of high-performance chips, and Microsoft plans to cooperate with nuclear power plants to meet energy needs.
All in all, the conference showed the increasingly close cooperation between technology giants and governments, and the key role of the artificial intelligence industry in future economic development. Microsoft's massive investment will boost artificial intelligence technology, but it also raises concerns about regulation and energy needs.