Microsoft has revealed a $3.3 billion investment in a data hub in Wisconsin aimed at educating employees and manufacturers on utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) effectively. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, site to emphasize the administration's commitment to job growth. This development follows the failed $10 billion investment by Foxconn, announced during the Trump administration, which promised 13,000 jobs but never came to fruition.
The new center is projected to generate 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs. Microsoft intends to train approximately 100,000 workers at the AI center and establish a lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to assist companies in integrating the technology into their operations.
Microsoft's Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Biden's visit to Wisconsin will include remarks attributing blame to Trump for the Foxconn project's failure. The visit also provides an opportunity for the administration to showcase its achievements, including funding from legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the “Chips Act,” which supports semiconductor chip manufacturing in the U.S.
According to a White House fact sheet, Wisconsin has added 177,000 jobs since Biden took office in 2021, including 4,000 in Racine. Biden signed an executive order on AI to provide entrepreneurs access to resources, help small businesses commercialize AI breakthroughs, and expand AI research grants in healthcare and climate change. The administration also introduced an order requiring AI developers to share safety test results with the government before public release.
Biden has called on Congress to pass legislation to regulate AI, including banning “AI voice impersonation and more,” emphasizing the need to balance the promise of AI with the need to protect Americans from its risks. Wisconsin has also received funding for infrastructure and clean energy as part of Biden's "Investing in America" agenda.