Alphabet’s Google pledged a further $9 billion towards expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure across Oklahoma over the coming two years, Reuters reported.
Announced on Wednesday, this substantial investment will establish a new data centre campus in Stillwater whilst significantly enlarging the company’s existing Pryor facility.
The commitment forms part of intensifying competition among major technology firms, who are channelling vast resources into new data centres and skills development programmes amidst surging demand for AI capabilities.
Google clarified that a portion of this expenditure aligns with its previously disclosed 2025 capital expenditure plans, with the remainder designated for subsequent years.
Last month, Alphabet elevated its annual capital spending projections to approximately $85 billion, up from $75 billion, hinting at further increases next year. Alphabet and its peers justify these substantial AI investments as critical for sustaining growth and enhancing products, particularly given competitive pressures from Chinese rivals and investor concerns over slower-than-anticipated returns.
Parallel to infrastructure development, Google last week dedicated $1 billion to AI education and training initiatives for US higher education institutions and non-profits. Over 100 universities have already joined this effort, including prominent public university systems such as Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina.
Competitors including OpenAI, Anthropic and Amazon have launched similar educational AI programmes.
This expansion occurs against a backdrop of accelerated domestic technology investment, partly driven by US President Donald Trump’s onshoring policies. Companies like Micron, Nvidia and CoreWeave have similarly ramped up AI infrastructure spending. In a related development, Apple confirmed last week its intention to invest $600 billion within the United States over the next four years.
