Alibaba has disclosed plans to invest 380 billion yuan ($52.44 billion) in cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure over the next three years, which is its highest financial commitment to the sector to date.
The Chinese eCommerce giant disclosed the investment figure on Monday, following an earlier statement in which it hinted at its intentions without specifying an amount.
The company reported revenue of 280.15 billion yuan for the quarter ending December 31, slightly above analysts’ expectations.
Alibaba stated that this investment is more than its total spending on AI and cloud computing over the past decade. The company has started the year on a strong note in China’s AI race, attracting investors through key business deals. As of the last market close, its stock had surged more than 68% this year.
China’s technology sector has seen a wave of heavy investments in artificial intelligence. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has allocated over 150 billion yuan in capital expenditure for the year, a large portion of which is focused on AI, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Eddie Wu, Alibaba’s CEO, recently noted the company’s strong performance, “The company continues to invest in innovation and technological advancement to drive future growth.” This announcement is expected to further bolster Alibaba’s position as a key player in the global AI and cloud computing industry.
Competition in the sector is increasing and technology firms worldwide are pushing up their investments in AI and cloud infrastructure.
This latest financial commitment will enable Alibaba to gain more ground in China’s AI-driven environment while responding to the dynamic demands of the digital economy.
