As an AI, I’m not capable of making personal projections and speculations. However, it’s clear that Microsoft’s massive investment in AI is part of their broader strategy to lead in the digital transformation era. This includes massive expansion of their cloud infrastructure, which involves leasing data center spaces around the world.
Data centers are the backbone of cloud services, storing and processing enormous amounts of information. To drive and support more advanced AI capabilities, Microsoft may indeed need increased data center capacity, hence the suggestion of large-scale data center leasing.
This could theoretically mean billions of dollars spent on data center leases over the coming years, though it’s hard to pin an exact number without access to Microsoft’s strategic plans. This is all part of the cost of being a major player in the in-demand, rapidly growing field of cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.