TECH - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Eyes Trillions In Funding For Semiconductor And AI Initiative: Report | Benzinga
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is reportedly in discussions with potential investors to secure trillions of dollars for a groundbreaking tech initiative. The project aims to transform the global semiconductor industry and enhance the capacity for AI.
What Happened: Altman is in talks with investors, including the government of the United Arab Emirates, to raise funds for a colossal tech venture. This initiative would significantly increase the world’s chip-building capacity and bolster its AI capabilities. The project’s estimated cost is between $5 trillion and $7 trillion, as per sources familiar with the matter, reported The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
The fundraising plans are driven by the need to address the constraints on OpenAI’s growth, such as the scarcity of expensive AI chips required to train large language models behind AI systems like ChatGPT. Altman has been vocal about the shortage of these chips, also known as graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential for OpenAI’s pursuit of artificial general intelligence.
"OpenAI has had productive discussions about increasing global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy and data centers—which are crucial for AI and other industries that rely on them," said an OpenAI spokeswoman. "We will continue to keep the U.S. government informed given the importance ...