- OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, aims to raise up to $7 trillion to boost chip production for AI.
- Altman is in talks with the UAE government, and global leaders to support his ambitious project.
- The plan includes building numerous chip foundries to overcome AI growth barriers and chip shortages.
February 11, 2024: Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is on a mission to dramatically increase the world’s ability to produce advanced chips needed for artificial intelligence.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Altman is seeking a staggering amount of money, possibly up to $7 trillion, from investors, including the United Arab Emirates government.
This massive investment aims to address one of AI development’s biggest challenges today: the shortage of powerful chips.
Altman’s proposal involves constructing many chip foundries, which existing semiconductor manufacturers, such as Taiwan, would then operate Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
This initiative ensures that AI technologies like ChatGPT have the necessary resources to grow and evolve.
Raising such a significant amount of money might seem unrealistic, but Altman has already started discussions with influential figures worldwide.
Meetings have been held with senior officials in the UAE, executives at TSMC, the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. These talks highlight the global interest in supporting the expansion of semiconductor production, which a few key players currently control.
Despite the global dominance of firms like TSMC and NVIDIA in chip manufacturing, Altman’s plan represents an effort to decentralize and increase the production capacity essential for advancing AI technologies.
An OpenAI spokesperson mentioned that the company has had productive discussions about boosting global infrastructure and supply chains, promising more details in the future.
At 38, Altman has become a prominent figure in the AI industry, steering OpenAI through meaningful milestones and challenges, including a brief departure from the company he helped found.
His current venture could reshape the future of AI, making it one of the most significant technological endeavors of our time.
