The head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is reportedly trying to raise a massive amount of money – trillions of dollars – to build new factories that make computer chips, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why? Because building things like powerful artificial intelligence tools requires a lot of processing power, and there aren’t enough chips available right now.
So what’s the plan? Altman reportedly wants to build dozens of factories, potentially with funding from the Middle East, and then hire established companies like TSMC to actually run them.
But there’s a catch: This plan would cost way more than any company is worth right now. Some estimates say it could cost $7 trillion, more than the combined value of Apple and Microsoft!
OpenAI says they’ve been talking to governments and other big players about this, but it’s unclear if anyone will actually give them the money.
So what’s next? We’ll have to wait and see if Altman can convince someone to fund his ambitious plan to change the chip industry.
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According to an OpenAI spokesperson, the company has engaged in “productive discussions” aimed at enhancing global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy, and data centres.
Reports indicate that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has met with high-ranking government officials from the United Arab Emirates, as well as SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son and representatives from TSMC. Coverage from Bloomberg and the Financial Times has also shed light on Altman’s recent meetings.
Altman has proposed the concept of constructing numerous chip-fabrication plants over the coming years, with funding potentially coming from Middle East investors. These facilities would be operated by TSMC under Altman’s plan.
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