Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a massive private investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, worth some $500 billion. The announcement, first reported by CBS News, was made alongside the CEOs of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Japanese technology investment firm Softbank and data center giant Oracle.
Softbank’s Masayoshi Son said the announcement marked a new “golden age,” echoing the promise Trump made in his second inaugural address. OpenAI’s Sam Altman added that companies “wouldn’t be able to do this without you, Mr. President,” referring to Trump.
The joint venture, called Stargate, will see each company initially commit $100 billion and will begin with the construction of a data center in Texas, which Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said was already under construction.
The initiative shares its name with an OpenAI and Microsoft project, first reported by The Information in March last year, to invest $100 billion in building an AI supercomputer; Microsoft would be “a technology partner” on the new Trump-backed project.
OpenAI’s Altman and other leading industry figures have argued that the United States should invest in data centers and AI infrastructure for national security reasons, allowing the country to stay ahead of the curve. technologically ahead of China. In his announcement, Trump emphasized the importance of American technological dominance, linking it to his campaign promise to increase American energy production.