Google is making its biggest investment ever in Australia with its Digital Futures Initiative

news7g11/16/2021

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Google is making its biggest investment ever in Australia with its Digital Futures Initiative

CEO Sundar Pichai announced Second that the company will spend A$1 billion (about $736 million) in the country over the next five years.

The money will partly go towards the opening of the company’s first research center in Australia, as well as helping to grow the country’s cloud computing sector.

Google (GOOGLE) There are also plans to partner with an Australian government agency for scientific research, which will include clean energy projects and the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, the company will partner with a local university on quantum computing.

Google, has been in Australia for two decades and now uses nearly 2,000 people locally, given that this new initiative is expected to help create new jobs and spur innovation.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hailed the move on Tuesday, calling it “a $1 billion vote of confidence” in Australia’s economic strategy. Morrison’s government had previously outline plan to make Australia a “leading digital economy by 2030”, an effort to strengthen the country’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, among other areas.

Speaking at Google’s Sydney office on Tuesday, Morrison stressed that the plan “doesn’t mean we’re trying to be the next Silicon Valley.”

But he said the company’s program would help created more than 6,000 jobs and added about A$6.7 billion ($4.9 billion) in value to the economy.

Morrison added: “Our challenge, as we emerge from this pandemic in a challenging world, is to ensure Australia’s economic recovery. “That’s the challenge we face as we head into 2022 and Australia’s digital strategy is central to ensuring that recovery.”

Turn the page

Google’s bet on Australia appears to have re-established the complicated relationship it has had with its users and government in recent months.

In the past, the company has publicly argued with regulators over legislation that requires both Google and Facebook (Facebook) to pay publishers for news content.

For months, Google has vehemently opposed the proposed law. At one point last year, it even used its homepage to warn Australians that the proposed law would harm their searchability and lead to “consequences” for YouTube users. Regulators at the time accused the company of spreading “misinformation”.

Tensions peaked in January, when the company threatened to pull out of its search engine in the country if the law went ahead.

Google agrees to pay news publishers over $1 billion

But as a vote on the bill approached, Google made a different decision. It has tried to stay ahead of the law by announcing partnerships with some of the country’s biggest newsrooms, including Rupert Murdoch’s. News Corp (NWS) and Seven West Media.

Meanwhile, attention largely turned to Facebook, suddenly forbidden News content in Australia in February about the proposed legislation.

Facebook later restored access to those pages after Australia made some changes to the code.

The last rule is pass in February, with Google’s strategy cheered by media organizations as well as politicians.

Morrison addressed some of the company’s past issues on Tuesday, saying “the reality is that Google has decided to invest in such a way that they have … the seal.” [our] partner. “

“We have worked with the technology sector in many areas and there are many more areas that we need to continue,” he said.

– Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report.

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