Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is reportedly planning an AI chip venture with a staggering multi-trillion-dollar price tag. According to sources familiar with Altman's discussions with potential investors, the project would require between $5 and $7 trillion in funds.
The venture aims to bolster the AI chip supply chain by establishing a global network of fabrication plants. Altman has been in talks with Middle Eastern investors and chip manufacturing companies to raise funds for this ambitious endeavor. Additionally, he has engaged with members of Congress to explore ways to increase the global supply of semiconductors capable of supporting AI workloads.
Last year, global semiconductor sales reached $527 billion, and projections suggest this figure could surpass $1 trillion annually by 2030. Altman's project is of a similar magnitude to the combined growth of the world's economies in 2023, as estimated by the International Monetary Fund.
The demand for AI-capable chips is soaring, yet chip designers like Nvidia, heavily reliant on manufacturers like TSMC, have struggled to meet the demand. Nvidia has faced shortages of its H100 GPUs, with anticipated constraints lasting up to 18 months.
Despite significant investments by chip manufacturers such as TSMC and Intel to construct new fabs worldwide, production delays have occurred due to various challenges, including a shortage of skilled workers.
Altman has not publicly commented on these rumored discussions, but he recently emphasized the need for expanded AI infrastructure on social media. Previously, Altman sought investment for Project 'Tigris,' an AI chip company, and invested in Rain AI, a neuromorphic semiconductor company.
OpenAI has also explored acquiring AI chip manufacturing capabilities and hired former Google TPU AI chip lead to lead its hardware division. Altman's vision underscores the critical role of robust AI infrastructure in enhancing economic competitiveness.
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