<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Microsoft has announced its largest-ever technology investment in Australia, with chief executive Satya Nadella committing $25 billion to expand AI infrastructure, strengthen national cybersecurity and train three million Australians with AI skills by 2028.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nadella made the announcement during a visit to Sydney, where he met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and toured Australian businesses already putting artificial intelligence to work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In an exclusive interview with 9News, Nadella said Australia's readiness for AI had impressed him.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-live-updates-april-24-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/4aa34654-9dfb-40a2-9813-57fdc3436ca4" rel="" target="_blank" title="Israel, Lebanon extend ceasefire; Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill'"><strong><span>Israel, Lebanon extend ceasefire; Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill'</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's no sort of time lag between what may be happening on the west coast of the United States or the east coast of China and what's happening in Australia," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The $25 billion commitment covers capital and operational expenditure to expand Azure AI supercomputing and cloud infrastructure across Australia by the end of 2029.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The investment is backed by a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian government.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/technology/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-exclusive-australian-workers-ai-training/ad59e869-eb6d-4b86-a5f0-5c703aed920b" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/network-takes-on-kyle-and-jackie-o/4a0ae0f1-d903-4194-a492-1b61cb15c834" rel="" target="_blank" title="Network accused Sandilands of foul-mouthed rant ahead of court showdown"><strong><span>Network accused Sandilands of foul-mouthed rant ahead of court showdown</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the question many Australians are asking, whether AI will cost them their jobs, Nadella was direct.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The state of AI, and quite frankly even for the foreseeable future, is more about what I'll call task level automation inside of jobs," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He pointed to a conversation with an Australian start-up building a medical scribe tool as an example.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-dingoes-karijini-national-park-dingo-attacks-young-girl-and-mother/fa6f461c-0675-4955-8e5e-5f04dbc47e4a" rel="" target="_blank" title="Dingoes attack young girl and mother at Western Australia campsite"><strong><span>Dingoes attack young girl and mother at Western Australia campsite</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One of the things he was describing to me was how much it's benefiting the physicians by reducing their paperwork burden and helping them spend more time with patients."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Microsoft will also expand its cybersecurity partnership with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), with the Microsoft-ASD Cyber Shield program set to cover additional federal agencies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since launching in 2023, the program has secured more than 38,000 government accounts and identified 35 previously unknown vulnerabilities.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On skills, Microsoft has committed to training three million Australians with AI-ready workforce skills by 2028 — tripling its previous goal of one million people across Australia and New Zealand, which was achieved ahead of schedule.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A new program, Microsoft Elevate for Educators, launches today to help teachers build confidence using AI in classrooms.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Asked whether Australia could become an AI powerhouse, Nadella said the technology would amplify what the country already does well.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"AI is more an accelerant to the comparative advantage of countries and companies that already have that going," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australia today is a powerhouse on many fronts, and those fronts will get more amplified because of their use of AI."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Microsoft also becomes a founding industry partner of the Australian AI Safety Institute under the announcement.</span></div></div>