Microsoft said it remains on track to invest US$50 billion by 2030 to expand access to artificial intelligence across emerging markets in the Global South, framing the move as part of a broader effort to narrow what it calls the growing “AI divide”.
The US technology giant made the announcement at the India AI Impact Summit, arguing that AI must be distributed more widely if developing economies are to fully benefit from the technology. It said that when adopted by young and rapidly growing populations, AI presents a significant opportunity for emerging markets to accelerate productivity and close economic gaps with advanced economies, describing it as one of the defining growth opportunities of the 21st century.
According to data from Microsoft, the Global North uses AI two times more than the Global South.
Microsoft said that as of November it had reached 117 million people in Africa with AI-enabled technologies through partnerships with companies including Cassava Technologies and Mawingu. These initiatives focus in part on extending last-mile connectivity to rural and underserved urban communities. The company said it is working towards reaching 250 million people globally through similar programmes.
Alongside infrastructure expansion, Microsoft highlighted increasing demand in emerging markets for greater sovereign control over data. Governments are seeking more options spanning public cloud, private sovereign offerings and deeper collaboration with national partners, reflecting a broader push for digital sovereignty.
In its most recent fiscal year, Microsoft said it invested more than US$2 billion in programmes aimed at building AI skills across the Global South. This funding includes financial grants, technology donations, training initiatives and discounted access to products and services.
The announcement comes as concerns grow over a widening global AI gap - with advanced economies rapidly scaling compute and infrastructure, while many developing nations risk being left behind without targeted investment in connectivity, skills and localised cloud capacity. Microsoft said acting with urgency is critical to ensure that AI development is inclusive rather than concentrated in a handful of markets.
