Addressing the urgent AI equity crisis, Microsoft revealed plans Wednesday to invest $50 billion in Global South countries by 2030. The initiative, penned by Brad Smith and Natasha Crampton, confronts the doubling AI usage gap between Global North and South.
‘Worsening disparities hinder economic advancement and challenge AI’s global promise,’ the post asserts, urging collective action to avert a tech-fueled inequality surge reminiscent of historical power access issues.
Featured at the India AI Impact Summit, Smith’s remarks emphasized proactive measures to safeguard future prosperity.
Highlighting India, the ‘Elevate for Educators’ program will empower 2 million teachers across vast educational networks, partnering with authorities to deliver AI opportunities to 8 million learners nationwide.
Microsoft’s momentum includes $8 billion in recent data center builds across pivotal Global South areas. India’s developer ecosystem thrives on GitHub, with 24 million users growing at 36% per year—the top performer among leading economies.
This far-reaching investment framework promises to democratize AI, fostering innovation hubs, skilled workforces, and robust infrastructure that could reshape global economic dynamics for generations.