President Joe Biden will make a significant announcement on Wednesday regarding a substantial investment by tech giant Microsoft.
The investment, which amounts to a staggering $3 billion, will involve the construction of an artificial intelligence data center in southeast Wisconsin.
Data Center Demand Soars with AI's Rising Need for Computing Power
The surge in demand for data centers has been driven by the increasing need for computing power to train and deploy artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.
The complexes, with their expansive 100,000 square feet, serve as the foundation for the rapid growth of the AI sector.
According to a report released in January by the International Energy Agency, in 2022, the electricity consumption of over 2,700 data centers in the US amounted to more than 4% of the nation's total. It is projected that by 2026, the proportion of electricity consumption will increase to 6%.
Per the report, electricity use for data centers in the United States is projected to increase in the coming years. This is attributed, in part, to the expected wider adoption of AI technology.
According to an IEA report, the AI industry is projected to consume at least 10 times more energy by 2026 than its demand three years earlier.
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Biden Admin Announces Microsoft's Innovation Lab for AI Education
According to the White House, the data center in Racine, Wisconsin, is projected to generate 2,300 jobs in construction and an additional 2,000 permanent jobs at the facility.
Based on the White House, Microsoft will build a "Datacenter Academy" to teach approximately 1,000 individuals for data center and other technological positions by 2030.
This initiative will align with a surge in employment opportunities.
The White House announced that Microsoft will establish an innovation lab in the region with the objective of educating about 1,000 business executives on the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in their organizations.
According to ABC News, the area where Biden made his presentation on Wednesday is the very same venue where Trump previously highlighted a distinct corporate investment six years ago.
Previously, Trump proudly announced a $10 billion investment from electronics maker Foxconn, with the expectation of generating approximately 13,000 manufacturing jobs.
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