Microsoft Boosts AI Investment, Aims to Reduce Reliance on OpenAI

Microsoft is planning to significantly increase its investment in computing power clusters to support the development of its own large-scale models, intensifying competition with rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The company's consumer AI business head announced during a company-wide meeting that Microsoft will make a "major investment" in its own computing clusters to facilitate model training. This strategic move underscores the importance of AI self-sufficiency for a company of Microsoft's scale, aiming to reduce reliance on external providers and enhance its competitive edge in the AI landscape.

Microsoft's current AI capabilities are largely powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, but the company is now focusing on developing its own models. This shift is driven by the need to stay competitive as both Microsoft and OpenAI explore new partnerships and product offerings. The company recently unveiled its first self-developed large model, trained using 15,000 NVIDIA H100 chips. Despite the smaller cluster size compared to competitors like Meta, Alphabet's Google, and Elon Musk's xAI, Microsoft claims to have achieved higher training efficiency.

Microsoft's CEO has emphasized the company's commitment to a multi-model strategy, aiming to integrate various AI models into its products based on customer preferences. This approach includes deepening collaboration with OpenAI and exploring partnerships with other AI model developers, such as Anthropic. By investing in advanced computing resources, Microsoft aims to accelerate the development of new AI applications and services, further solidifying its position in the market and driving innovation in the AI sector.