Microsoft President Brad Smith has issued a warning concerning the demographic challenges that Europe, and specifically Spain, must face as a result of an aging population. He highlights the 2030s as a crucial decade due to a projected surge in retirements among public officials. However, he remains optimistic about Spain’s future, predicting a bright outlook if the country can fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence.
This warning was issued during an event in Madrid, which took place the day after Smith’s meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. During this meeting, Smith announced Microsoft’s plan to invest 1,950 million euros in Spain by 2025. This represents the largest investment made by the technology company in Spain during its 37-year presence in the country. Smith underscored the importance of this announcement and its potential to create a more productive generation of employees. This, he believes, is crucial to counteract the anticipated decrease in the working population. As an example, he pointed out that about half of the doctors currently practicing are expected to retire by 2023.
With this announcement, the US-based company is planning to quadruple its investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure. As part of this initiative, new centers will be established in Madrid and Aragón. The goal is to stimulate digital innovation and encourage the responsible use of generative AI. “We are the first generation to use this technology, and if we do our job well, we can prevent future generations from repeating our errors,” Smith stated.
Other topics discussed during the event were national cybersecurity enhancement, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the National Cryptology Center, and the importance of training and reskilling. The latter is crucial for enabling workers to tap into the potential of generative AI and to meet the technical profile requirements of businesses.
AS IMPORTANT AS THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS
As part of the Microsoft AI & Innovation Summit event being held in Madrid, which has attracted nearly 3,000 customers and partners (both in person and online), Smith likened the advent of ChatGPT generative AI to Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1440. This, he believes, is a more significant milestone than the advent of the internet or the introduction of the first iPhone.
In this context, Smith stressed the importance of AI acting as a “co-pilot” and shared Microsoft’s vision in this regard: “We don’t want people to stop thinking. Instead, we want them to use this tool to improve their job performance and quality of life.” Smith reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to Spain, recalling his first visit in 1989 when Microsoft only had four employees in its Spanish subsidiary.
