OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly made progress in recent weeks in negotiations with investors for a world artificial intelligence (AI) chip project. As well as, it is alleged that a multi-billion dollar project is being planned to construct large-scale infrastructure, including AI chips and systems, in the USA.
Bloomberg reported on the third (local time), citing a well-informed source, that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s plan for large-scale infrastructure expansion, including AI chips and systems, is becoming increasingly clear, and that projects expected to cost lots of of billions of dollars are underway in several states within the U.S. in line with this plan.
In February, CEO Altman announced a world AI chip project price as much as $7 trillion (about 9,300 trillion won) to organize for the explosive demand for AI. On the time, he met with potential investors and partners within the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia, and focused on searching for approval from the U.S. government with the goal of forming a world investor alliance to secure the needed funds for the project.
Altman is currently reportedly working on several previously unreported details, including plans to first establish a U.S. state as a candidate site. Projects under discussion reportedly include constructing data centers, energy facilities using turbines and generators, and expanding semiconductor manufacturing.
The source also said that backers are prone to include investors from South Korea, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In truth, Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), is thought to have visited Korea and Japan last month to debate this plan with investors. In Korea, he was invited to a special talk on the ‘Seoul AI Policy Conference’ held on the twelfth and thirteenth of last month. It’s presumed that he contacted domestic investors during this era.
Moreover, Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s VP of worldwide policy, spoke with investors in Canada, while Altman also spoke with investors within the UAE and the US, following previous discussions.
OpenAI expects other private firms to hitch the project. Microsoft (MS), OpenAI’s largest investor, is also a possible partner. MS declined to comment specifically on the project, but said it was aware of and involved within the broader infrastructure effort.
“We imagine that constructing additional infrastructure in the USA is critical to advancing AI and making its advantages widely available,” an OpenAI spokesperson said in a press release. “We’re exploring a wide range of opportunities with this goal in mind and look ahead to sharing more details in the longer term.”
Reporter Park Chan cpark@aitimes.com
