(VitalNews.org) – Technology giants like Microsoft have spoken out numerous times about their intention to continue investing in artificial intelligence. However, many think that they will stay within the walls of the United States and invest in OpenAI, and other U.S-owned companies.
Microsoft has just announced that they will be expanding their artificial intelligence partner search overseas to the Middle East. They have recently invested one and a half billion dollars into the United Arab Emirates’ top artificial intelligence firm, G42.
This deal is especially interesting because the Middle East doesn’t have the same regulations or barriers around artificial intelligence that the U.S. has. They are usually more lenient than with how Western nations use this technology, which could give Microsoft a significant advantage. For the Middle East, this partnership with Microsoft could push for faster AI innovation and the UAE’s tax-free income could help bring in more top artificial intelligence researchers.
Dan Romanoff, tech analyst at Morningstar, said “Microsoft opened a data center there a few years ago, so clearly it has been investing in the region.”
Microsoft’ first cloud center in the UAE had already been established in 2019, and with this recent deal, G42 would use Microsoft’s Azure to develop and deploy artificial intelligence services. These facilities are necessary to support large AI systems, especially to advance the technology.
Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, has visited the UAE numerous times before looking to build a global AI coalition, and he even said that the region could serve as the world’s “regulatory sandbox” for artificial intelligence testing.
Many experts looking in on this are saying that Microsoft and OpenAI trying to expand into the Middle East is proof of their mission to increase their global footprint and to show their leadership in the industry.
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