Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google has deepened its artificial intelligence and cloud ambitions with a $9 billion investment in Virginia infrastructure by 2026, following reports of a $10 billion cloud services deal with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META).
Google Bets Big On AI Data Centers
On Wednesday, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the tech giant will invest heavily in AI and cloud infrastructure across Virginia, including a new data center in Chesterfield County and expansions in Loudoun and Prince William counties.
"We're investing $9B in Virginia through 2026 for AI and cloud infrastructure in the state," Pichai said on X, formerly Twitter. The company said it is collaborating with local partners to expand energy capacity and improve efficiency as AI workloads grow.
AI Training, Education Initiatives
Alongside the infrastructure build-out, Google is committing $1 billion to AI skills development. All Virginia college students will receive free access to the Google AI Pro plan for one year, while local residents can join the "Virginia Has Jobs" AI Career Launch Pad program.
Institutions such as the University of Virginia, Brightpoint Community College and Northern Virginia Community College are part of the Google AI for Education Accelerator, aimed at preparing students for AI-driven industries.
Meta, Oracle Deals Boost Google Cloud's Momentum
The Virginia investment follows reports that Meta struck a six-year, $10 billion agreement to run AI workloads on Google Cloud.
The deal will reportedly support Meta's Llama AI models and generative AI tools across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Separately, Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) has also announced a partnership to integrate Google's Gemini AI models into Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Google Cloud Growth Accelerates
The investment underscores Google's push to narrow the gap with Amazon.com, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services and Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Azure.
In July, Alphabet reported second-quarter revenue of $96.43 billion, beating Wall Street estimates, with Google Cloud revenue climbing to $13.62 billion from $10.35 billion a year earlier.
Price Action: On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares edged up 0.16%, while Class C shares rose 1.13%, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings show GOOGL sustaining a strong upward trajectory across short, medium and long-term trends. More detailed performance data is available here.
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