Microsoft just announced plans to spend $3.3 billion over the next few years, among other things, to build a new AI data center in the state of Wisconsin. Ironically, the location of the data center will be in the same location as a planned Foxconn LCD factory that failed to materialize.

Microsoft press release states that the data center will be located in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, which is part of Racine County. The company says up to 2,300 construction jobs will be offered to help build the data center, which is expected to be completed by 2026.

Microsoft added:

Along with building a physical data center, Microsoft will partner with Gateway Technical College to build a data center academy to train and certify more than 1,000 students over five years to work in the new data center and IT jobs created in the region.

The company says it will also establish an AI Co-Innovation Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The goal is to connect local businesses and manufacturers with artificial intelligence experts at Microsoft “to design and prototype artificial intelligence and cloud solutions.” He said it will also partner with a number of low-profile local organizations to help train up to 100,000 people in the country with creative AI skills by 2030.

The new Microsoft AI data center will be officially announced later today at its future location by Microsoft President Brad Smith. He will be joined by US President Joe Biden, who is promoting the plant as part of his administration’s investment in America agenda.

B Press release from the White House, the Biden administration says the data center site will be located in the same space where Foxconn once promised to build an LCD display factory back in 2017 that it says will bring 13,000 jobs to the community. This plant was ultimately not completed.