Amazon to invest $10B in North Carolina to fuel AI and cloud data center infrastructure

Amazon announced plans Wednesday to invest $10 billion in North Carolina to expand its data center infrastructure to support AI and cloud computing technologies.

The company said the investment will help create 500 new high-skilled jobs and support thousands more in its Amazon Web Services data center supply chain.

The jobs will range from data center engineers and network specialists, to engineering operations managers, security specialists, and more technical roles as generative AI fuels demand for advanced cloud infrastructure and compute power.

Seattle-based Amazon has invested heavily in North Carolina, with more than $12 billion poured into the state since 2010. The tech giant said it has helped support 24,000 full- and part-time jobs, as well as more than 26,000 indirect jobs.

“This investment will position North Carolina as a hub for cutting-edge technology, create hundreds of high-skilled jobs, and drive significant economic growth,” David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs and legal officer, said in a statement.

As part of Wednesday’s announcement, Amazon is also adding its support to North Carolina community colleges, technical schools, universities, and workforce development organizations to design, develop, and grow training programs and work-based learning opportunities to prepare job seekers for careers in data center construction and operations.

The company is launching the Amazon Richmond County Community Fund with a $150,000 commitment for grants up to $10,000 supporting STEM education, sustainability, economic development, workforce development, and community well-being.