Overview
- Microsoft and the Australian government signed a memorandum in Sydney on Thursday that sets a A$25 billion plan through 2029 to expand AI, cloud and data‑centre capacity.
- The company says Azure capacity will grow by more than 140% by 2029 with new data centres and GPU hardware, though it has not named locations or power sources.
- The deal extends the Microsoft–Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Shield to more federal agencies, including Home Affairs, to protect critical government systems.
- Microsoft will train three million Australians by 2028 through workplace courses and school programs such as Elevate for Educators to help people use AI in daily tasks.
- Reporters highlight unanswered questions on energy and water use, local job numbers and how much spend stays onshore, as Australia also attracts major AI commitments from AWS and OpenAI.