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Microsoft said its billion-dollar investment to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure at Ontario and Quebec data centres will include a “community-first approach,” taking into account concerns from the local communities.

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In December, the tech giant had announced a $19-billion investment — the largest in Canadian history — to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in the two provinces.

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In a blog post Tuesday, Microsoft Canada president Matt Milton said the company is aware that Canadians have “real questions” about affordability, energy and water use, jobs and the impact on communities regarding its AI investment.

“At Microsoft, we believe communities should share in the benefits of AI infrastructure and they should not bear the costs,” Milton said.

Electricity costs, water usage among concerns

He said the company’s five “community-first” principles will shape how it will build and operate its data centres in Ontario and Quebec.

Among those principles he outlined was the company’s commitment to “paying our way on electricity” to ensure that its data centres don’t increase electricity prices for Canadians and put added strain on the grid.

Milton said the company will work with provinces, utilities, system operators and regulators to plan new supply in advance. He also said the company will pay the full cost of the electricity it uses, including the cost of new generation, transmission and grid upgrades.

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Milton also said that Canada’s cooler climate means the company can cool its data centres mostly using outside air, “using water for cooling less than 5% of the year.”

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Thousands employed in construction process

He also said the company will work with local governments, conservation partners and research institutions on water projects.

Milton said Microsoft’s data centre investment in Canada will employ about 2,000 workers across all sites during construction with 400 Canadian businesses involved during the construction phase.

He said once its data centres are built and operational, the company will create 250 full-time jobs and hire about 400 contractors to maintain and operate its sites.

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