Microsoft has recently announced that it will be investing around $2.9 billion in Japan to upscale its AI infrastructure. Not just that, Microsoft has made a well-structured plan to expand Japan’s digital skilling programs to provide AI skill training to more than 3 million, over the period of 3 years. A Microsoft Research Asia lab will be established in Japan for the first time while enhancing its cybersecurity bond with the Government of Japan. This lab will prioritize strengthening areas such as embodied AI and robotics, societal AI and wellbeing, as well as scientific discovery keeping in mind the country’s socioeconomic needs and requirements. The establishment of this lab underscores Microsoft’s belief in Japan that the nation has the potential to unearth world’s greatest innovation in technology.
All these investments basically aim towards tackling Japan’s economic deflation to improve the current economic condition by enforcing a digital transformation by building the required infrastructure, preparing talents, and encouraging AI adoption. Microsoft made the announcement around the same time when the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the United States where the Microsoft’s Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith joined him, also in the presence of Microsoft Japan President Miki Tsusaka.
Its also interesting that Japan is the place where Microsoft had established its first international office, and now it’s making a 2.9billion dollars investment, the first largest investment in its 46 years long collaboration with Japan. This investment is the double of the company’s existing financial investment in order to largely expand Japan’s AI cloud infrastructure. Such expansion in the digital sphere will now allow Microsoft to provide the latest advanced computing resources, for instance, the latest graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential to complete AI workloads faster to Japan.
Microsoft is set to train 3 million people over the next three years across Japan, as full-time as well as part-time workers. This investment and training will be delivered through programs focused on assisting organizations and society at large, with a focus on developers and students. This training is going to teach them skills on how to work with advanced AI technologies. These training programs will largely encourage women to take part in AI-powered work. The program will also come with the free availability of content on topics such as AI, cybersecurity, and digital skills. Microsoft is also partnering with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) for opening up such training programs in Japan.
Microsoft will provide courses and necessary architectures to Japan’s technology companies to accommodate AI developers for driving AI integration in the country. Microsoft for Startups Founder Hub will also start AI-focused programs in Japan’s vocational high schools while supporting large and small startups with necessary resources. All these programs will be augmented with the help of GitHub Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant. Microsoft is aiming to advance Japan’s societal benefits by establishing AI focused programs across all companies, big or small, government sectors, public entities, also the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, so that Japan widely adopts AI tools and policies. Furthermore, Microsoft is urging the country to form internal customer AI policies such as data management and security so that the whole operation takes place in a safe and responsible manner.
