May 8 (UPI) — President Joe Biden will travel to Wisconsin on Wednesday to tout a new $3.3 billion investment Microsoft is making for an artificial intelligence datacenter.
The White House said that Biden will announce that the datacenter will create 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs once it is built. Microsoft also promised to train thousands more to take advantage of the tech jobs that will be open.
Additionally, Microsoft plans to train 1,000 people for datacenter and STEM jobs by 2030 through a partnership with Gateway Technical College.
“Microsoft is committed to creating good-paying jobs with growth pathways and comprehensive benefits such as paid family leave,” the White House said.
The White House noted the new data center will be built on the grounds of a now fizzled $10 billion tech plant proposed by Taiwan’s Foxconn six years ago that former President Donald Trump had celebrated as a win for his “America First” agenda.
“President Biden is delivering on that promise to create good jobs that will have a lasting impact on communities and families,” the White House said.
Since Biden took office more than 4,000 jobs have been added in Racine, while 177,000 jobs have been added in Wisconsin overall, the White House said.
However, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this month showed that nationwide U.S. job growth slowed with 175,000 new jobs created in April, down from 303,000 in March.
The announcement also comes after the White House late last month touted governmentwide standards for AI developers to ensure AI tech developers manage the risk associated with the technology in the 180 days since Biden signed his executive order on AI.
It also adds to Microsoft’s investment in AI globally after announcing it plans to invest $1.7 billion in cloud and AI technology in Indonesia over the next four years.
