Alberto Granados, born in Madrid in 1965, serves as the president of Microsoft Spain since July 2021. He leads a team of more than a thousand professionals confronting the challenge of deploying artificial intelligence, a move he compares to the invention of the printing press or the widespread adoption of electricity and the ecosystems those innovations spawned. With over 30 years in the tech industry, Granados has spent much of his career at Microsoft, the company he joined in 1995. Before taking the helm of Microsoft Spain, he held the position of vice president of the Digital Transformation Partnerships division at Microsoft Corporation, with global responsibility for strategic digitalization projects across large multinational organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He studied Computer Science at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and pursued advanced studies at IESE Business School, INSEAD, MIT Sloan, Saïd Business School, and Harvard Business School.
They recently announced a 1.95 billion euro investment in Spain over two years to develop artificial intelligence and data centers. What will this entail?
It is aimed at deploying cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The goal is to add value and build an ecosystem capable of enabling AI in Spain. The plan covers everything from server and software infrastructure to personnel who will operate it. It is a broad investment across the board.
And what impact will this have on the Valencian Community?
In the Valencian Community, a local analysis conducted by a consultancy named IDC examined the cloud and our investments. It indicates an estimated increase in GDP of about 2.3 billion euros within the region. The investment will directly and indirectly generate that amount across the local ecosystem, which includes around 1,200 associated organizations. Additionally, about 5,700 jobs are expected to be created in the period from 2022 to 2025, according to IDC’s extrapolations on investment and its effects.
What kinds of new jobs will those Valencian positions include?
They will span a broad range. Roles tied to artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, including tech positions and development roles. There is a growing availability of non-STEM careers that can adapt to the AI and cloud wave. A key point is that AI should facilitate professional retraining, presenting a significant opportunity for workers to shift into new roles.
How are Valencian companies adopting artificial intelligence?
The adoption rate for AI among Valencia’s businesses sits around 8.5 percent, below Spain’s national average of 9.5 percent. Notably, about 40 percent of Spanish companies with more than 250 employees already use AI, a figure applicable to Valencia as well. The main challenge lies with small and medium enterprises, where adoption remains around 2 to 3 percent.
Which Valencian companies are embracing artificial intelligence?
There are many examples. For instance, Grupo Martínez, a well-known food company, has long used AI to drive data analytics. They report improvements of around 36 percent in data exploitation, applying AI intensively to executive decision-making and investment monitoring.
And across other sectors?
In education, CEU Valencia uses generative AI to manage the high volume of requests for its programs, master’s degrees, and postgraduate studies. They receive thousands of inquiries from across the globe and needed a multilingual handling solution. By building a platform on Azure OpenAI, the university can filter requests and convert them into opportunities. These are clear demonstrations of AI deployment in both production environments and education.
What about the public sector?
The City Council of Valencia is leveraging digital twins to optimize municipal services. It has already deployed a powerful solution to manage street lighting, reducing emissions by about 80 percent. AI is now a companion across all sectors and scenarios.
And in healthcare?
Quibim stands as a pioneer in medical imaging, combining AI and machine learning with generative AI to craft digital twins of organs or diseases, such as prostate cancer or the human brain. This approach can support testing new drugs and guiding patient care, illustrating vast potential for improving health outcomes.
What career advice would be offered to an 18-year-old student, and which paths should be reconsidered?
Tech disciplines clearly make sense, but collaboration with the Ministry of Education has highlighted the value of expanding technical insights into broader training. Vocational training (FP) has long been undervalued; through AI and digital innovations, many programs and cycles can be enriched with technology. One can come from finance, marketing, or sales and still leverage AI with expedited technical cycles. In the past year, roughly 100,000 people have trained within the broader Microsoft partner ecosystem in Spain, and after completing AI or cybersecurity training, about 70 percent secured employment within three months.
Until now, AI was mainly used to automate repetitive tasks like drafting contracts for lawyers. Generative AI now handles more cognitive tasks. Where is the limit?
Parallels have been drawn to human performance, with AI achieving parity in many university entrance exams and final assessments. The view is that AI should function as a copiloto—an assistant that augments human creativity rather than replacing it.
Is this AI revolution stronger than the internet’s impact?
There is little doubt that this is among the most significant shifts in human history. It can be compared to electricity or the printing press, but the AI shift creates new ecosystems rather than simply expanding an existing one. The printing press opened a world of writers, editors, ink suppliers, and readers; AI is set to create ecosystems spanning devices, data, and algorithms.
What ethical controls should guide this development?
The stance is for regulation to start at the source. Collaboration has taken place with national and international bodies, including the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and the European AI Act. There is also a focus on protecting intellectual property, with commitments in contracts to safeguard customer rights and IP. The aim is to ensure respect for the rights of artists, writers, and journalists as these technologies are deployed.
Are we living in a period of heightened cyber risk?
Since the Ukraine conflict, cyber attacks have surged. Cybercrime is a major global risk, potentially the third largest economy behind the United States and China if measured by impact. The threat grows at a rapid pace and requires robust defenses across sectors.
State actors are often at the root of many breaches. In fact, nation-states, notably North Korea and Russia, have been observed leveraging cyber capabilities in various campaigns. Spain has become a focal point for disinformation campaigns targeting Spanish-speaking communities and beyond. In response, partnerships have been formed with national outlets such as the EFE news agency to strengthen detection and neutralization of misinformation, ensuring information remains reliable and instrumental for journalists and other communicators. These measures reflect a commitment to responsible technology and accurate information dissemination.