Brad Smith, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft has revealed that the tech giant is set to invest approximately $80 billion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 2025 fiscal year.
Smith who highlighted AI’s transformative potential, comparing it to electricity in its ability to reshape society emphasised the importance of the United States (US) maintaining global leadership in AI, which he views as critical to the country’s economic future.
Writing in an online post, Smith called on President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to bolster support for AI innovation by increasing funding for university research and the National Science Foundation.
He described the US-China rivalry in AI as a race to establish global standards, with China offering developing nations subsidised access to chips and AI data centres to lock them into its technology.
Smith argued that the United States must adopt a strategic approach to promote its AI as superior and more reliable, urging international partnerships to counter China’s influence.
