Microsoft to Invest Around $18 Billion in Australia to Build AI Capacity by 2029

Published: 2026-04-22 21:36:18 ET MSFT

Published on 04/22/2026 at 09:36 pm EDT

By Kimberley Kao

Microsoft will invest $18 billion in cloud and artificial-intelligence infrastructure in Australia by the end of 2029, marking its largest ever investment in the country.

The U.S. tech company said Thursday that it plans to invest 25 billion Australian dollars, equivalent to US$17.90 billion, to significantly expand its Azure AI supercomputing and cloud infrastructure in Australia.

Azure provides cloud services to a vast array of businesses.

"Australia has an enormous opportunity to translate AI into real economic growth and societal benefit," Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said in a statement.

Microsoft said it is also committed to strengthening AI safety and will train three million locals with AI skills by 2028.

"Our National AI Plan is all about capturing the economic opportunities of this transformative technology while protecting Australians from the risks," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Microsoft's latest spending plan builds on an A$5 billion investment from October 2023, which the company used to grow its Australian data centre presence to 29 sites across three Azure cloud regions.

Write to Kimberley Kao at [email protected]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

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