Amazon.com said Wednesday it will invest $10 billion in Richmond County, North Carolina, to expand its artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The company said the investment will create at least 500 jobs, including positions for data center engineers and network specialists.
Amazon currently employs about 24,000 full- and part-time workers in North Carolina. It is also expanding its retail operations in the state, with plans to open several new last-mile delivery facilities.
The company did not say whether the $10 billion investment is part of its previously announced capital spending. Amazon reported about $25 billion in capital expenditures in the first quarter and expects to maintain that level through the rest of the year.
The move adds to a series of recent investments by Amazon and other large tech companies as they build more data centers to support artificial intelligence services. Some industry concerns have emerged over whether companies may slow down these investments.
Microsoft has reportedly cancelled some data center leases due to excess capacity. Still, Amazon’s CEO has said the company’s AI investments are necessary to stay competitive.
