Microsoft to Invest $50B to Expand AI in Global South

New Delhi, February 2026 – Tech giant Microsoft announced plans to invest $50 billion by 2030 to expand artificial intelligence (AI) access across countries in the Global South. The announcement came during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, one of the largest gatherings of AI leaders in the world.

The initiative aims to accelerate AI adoption in developing countries, with a focus on empowering communities, improving multilingual capabilities, and supporting local AI innovations that address regional challenges.

Microsoft’s Five-Part Plan for AI Impact:

Empowering People: Provide AI tools and skills training for schools, nonprofits, and community programs.
Multilingual AI: Strengthen AI systems that can understand and work across multiple languages and cultures.
Local AI Innovation: Support AI solutions tailored to community needs, from healthcare to agriculture.
AI Measurement: Track AI adoption and impact to inform policies and guide future investments.
Regional Projects: Launch initiatives in critical sectors, including food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, starting in Kenya, with plans to scale across the continent.

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, said the program is designed to democratize AI access, ensuring that developing countries can leverage AI for economic growth, sustainability, and social impact.

The India AI Impact Summit is hosting global tech leaders including Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Alexandr Wang (Meta), Matthew Prince (Cloudflare), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), and Lisa Su (AMD). Their presence underscores India’s growing role in the global AI ecosystem.

Microsoft’s announcement signals a major step toward equitable AI access, particularly for nations that have historically lagged in AI adoption. Analysts say the $50 billion investment could transform education, healthcare, agriculture, and digital infrastructure across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.

With this initiative, Microsoft positions itself not only as a technology leader but also as a catalyst for AI-driven development across the Global South.