So far, OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT, is globally known for being one of the leading companies in artificial intelligence. But the software seems to be not enough for Sam Altman, the CEO of the company, who would be exploring new horizons.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Altman is trying to launch a new AI initiative that will focus more on the hardware aspect, including custom-made chips for AI. The TWSJ article states that Altman is in talks with several investors, including the government of the United Arab Emirates, to secure funding and may need up to a whopping 7 trillion dollars.
The plan aims to solve the problems currently faced by the sector, including the shortage of AI chips needed to train large language models like ChatGPT. Although in theory this could lead to advances in generative AI, the article addresses the main problem.
The project requires an estimated investment of between 5 and 7 trillion dollars, a significantly higher figure than the total sales of the entire semiconductor industry. Not only that, but the sum would be higher than the total market capitalization of Microsoft and Apple combined, and it would be out of this world in terms of corporate fundraising.
“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,” a company spokesperson told TWSJ. “We will continue to keep the US government informed, given the importance of national priorities, and we look forward to sharing more details later.”
Altman has proposed bringing together investors, chip manufacturers, electric companies, and other stakeholders in order to build chip factories dedicated to producing the hardware needed to power the next generation of AI. Additionally, he also stated that OpenAI will be one of the main customers for these chips, but discussions are still in the early stages.
