Microsoft plans $3bn AI hub investment in Wisconsin, US

The exterior of a Microsoft facility. (Image: Adobe Stock)

The total figure is now US$3.3 billion – up from the $1-billion figure announced in 2023 – to construct what the company said will be a 315-acre (147-hectare) artificial intelligence (AI) data centre and campus.

The site, which Microsoft purchased for $50 million, is in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, about 70 miles (133km) north of Chicago, Illinois.

US President Joe Biden – along with state and local officials – attended the announcement on-site on 8 May.

Construction on phase one of the campus started late last year, with Walsh Construction of Chicago serving as contractor. The first leg of the project is expected to finish in 2026.

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According to Microsoft’s proposal, the expanded project would generate 2,300 union construction jobs by 2025. The Biden administration said it expects the data centre to create 2,000 permanent jobs over time.

Microsoft also plans to build its seventh ‘AI Co-Innovation Lab’ at the Mount Pleasant site. No details on new construction works were available, with the novel segment of the project expected to start next year.

To date, the Microsoft said it has more than 300 data centres worldwide.