Microsoft turns to the Middle East for its latest bet on AI

Microsoft will invest $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42, an artificial intelligence group that has faced questions over its ties to China. The companies will collaborate on AI and digital infrastructure, in a move that sees Microsoft’s AI empire expand into the Middle East for the first time. The move could attract sizeable scrutiny from regulators. G42 — led by Peng Xiao, a Chinese businessman and former CEO of Pegasus, a cybersecurity firm — has reportedly faced questions over its links to Beijing. In November, the New York Times reported...