Microsoft Corp. reported a steeper climb in spending than Wall Street expected. Photo by Thibault Camus/AP files

Microsoft Corp. reported a steeper climb in spending than Wall Street expected, fuelling anxieties about the high costs of providing AI infrastructure.

First-quarter capital expenditures including leases, an indication of data center spending, came in at US$34.9 billion, up from US$24 billion in the preceding quarter, the company said Wednesday.

Microsoft continues “to increase our investments in AI across both capital and talent to meet the massive opportunity ahead,” chief executive Satya Nadella said in a statement.

Total revenue increased 18 per cent to US$77.7 billion in the fiscal first quarter, while profit was US$3.72 a share. Analysts on average estimated sales o

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