Aug 5, 2026 – 4.22pmLess than three months ago, in the midst of the tumult caused by war in the Middle East and not long before a government-defining federal budget, Anthony Albanese found the time to meet with Microsoft. It wasn’t a senior vice president or some outer C-suite executive who met with the prime minister, of course. It was Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, and he came bearing gifts. The Silicon Valley technology giant promised to invest $25 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Australia alone.If tensions between Albanese and the tech giants were running high – the government had implemented social media bans for children, was threatening tough AI and data centre rules and had proposed a tax to drive payments for the use of news content – it wasn’t showing.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Paul SmithTechnology editorPaul Smith edits the technology coverage and has been a leading writer on the sector for 20 years. He covers big tech, artificial intelligence, business use of tech, the fast-growing Australian tech industry and start-ups, and national innovation policy from our Sydney newsroom. Send tips to @sayssmithy.99 on encrypted messaging platform Signal.Fetching latest articles