OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seeks as much as $7 trillion for new AI chip project

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is embarking on an audacious endeavor, aiming to revolutionize the global semiconductor industry. His ambitious plan involves securing trillions of dollars in investment to bolster chip manufacturing for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Altman envisions a collaborative venture that would connect OpenAI, investors, contract chip manufacturers, and power providers. The goal? To establish a network of cutting-edge fabs (fabrication facilities) dedicated to producing AI chips. OpenAI itself commits to becoming a significant client for these chip plants, ensuring a steady demand. The proposed investment amount—between $5 trillion and $7 trillion—surpasses the current size of the global chip market. To put it into perspective, this figure exceeds the combined market capitalization of tech giants like Apple and Microsoft. Altman’s vision could reshape the landscape of AI hardware, fueling innovation and accelerating the development of neural network accelerators. In this bold pursuit, Altman has approached potential investors, including G42 and Softbank. Even Microsoft, a major supporter of OpenAI, has reportedly expressed interest in this groundbreaking project. If successful, this initiative could propel AI research and applications to new heights, ushering in an era of unprecedented computational power and efficiency