Microsoft, AWS pledge $17.9 billion to develop AI technology in Japan as part of US deal Microsoft, AWS pledge $17.9 billion to develop AI technology in Japan as part of US deal
Microsoft and Amazon Web Services will invest a $2.9 billion and $15 billion to establish AI-related infrastructure and education in Japan as part of the deal.
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Updated: Apr. 11, 2024 at 12:36 am UTC
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The US and Japan announced on April 10 a political understanding that includes a Microsoft partnership partially focused on AI.
Under the deal, Microsoft will invest $2.9 billion in Japan over the next two years to support artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and data centers.
The investment will also go toward training 3 million people through digital skills programs, establishing a Microsoft Research Lab in Japan, and creating a cooperative cybersecurity effort between the two governments.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) will separately invest $15 billion in Japan by 2027 to support cloud infrastructure for AI and other digital services.
The countries also described resource deals. NVIDIA will provide GPUs to Japanese firms, including Sakura Internet and Softbank, while Google and Microsoft will contribute computational resources to Japanese companies developing AI foundation models.
Research partnerships
The US and Japan separately announced a $110 million academic research collaboration.
The joint initiative will help advance AI research and development and build upon earlier quantum computing partnerships and research.
Several universities are involved, including the University of Washington, the University of Tsukuba, Carnegie Mellon University, and Keio University. NVIDIA, Arm, Amazon, Microsoft, and a group of Japanese companies are funding the partnerships.
Other research collaborations feature NVIDIA and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the US Department of Energy and Japan’s science ministry (MEXT), and Argonne National Laboratory and Japan’s RIKEN.
AI safety efforts
The agreement also discusses AI risk and harm reduction. The US and Japan intend to provide transparency to the public by labeling official government content and identifying content created or modified by artificial intelligence.
The two countries also plan to support AI Safety Institutes and collaborate on safety standards. The agreement described a “crosswalk” between Japan’s AI Guidelines for Business and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, which will help the two countries develop compatible policy frameworks around AI.
The US also recently announced a similar agreement related to AI safety with the UK on April 2.
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Mike Dalton
Before transitioning to crypto writing in 2018, Mike studied library and information sciences. Currently, he resides on Canada's West Coast.
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Microsoft
Microsoft is an American multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, and personal computers.
Amazon
Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, stands as an American multinational technology company renowned for its diverse portfolio encompassing e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
Nvidia
Nvidia Corporation is a multinational technology company based in Santa Clara, California, that was founded in Delaware.
Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that is most commonly known for its search engine that was founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998.