OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reportedly seeking US government approval for an initiative aimed at boosting global manufacturing of artificial intelligence chips.
Bloomberg reported on Friday (February 16) that the venture could raise national security and antitrust concerns in Washington.
Altman has been actively engaging with potential investors and partners in the United States, the Middle East and Asia, but stressed the importance of getting Washington’s approval before moving forward, the report said.
The report said he met with key officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, to discuss plans to expand global AI computing chip manufacturing capacity.
Potential partners for Altman’s venture include major chip manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Intel and Samsung Electronics, according to the report. Mr. Altman has already met with executives from Samsung and TSMC, and is also in talks with a Middle East sovereign wealth fund about possible investments.
Altman is seeking to work with the U.S. government on matters such as approvals, timing and the structure of the venture, the report said. OpenAI has been engaged in discussions about strengthening the global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy, and data centers needed for AI and other industries.
But Altman’s fundraising activities could trigger a national security review of foreign investment by a committee chaired by the Treasury Department, the report said. Additionally, Commerce Department regulations on chip shipments to the Middle East could pose challenges.
Altman’s exact plans are still being developed, according to the report, and could focus on less extensive efforts to build lower-level chips and software, or aim for a major overhaul of chip manufacturing capabilities. The company said it is closely monitoring the market to determine what will happen. The decisions made will ultimately determine the amount of funding needed. Altman is also exploring ways to increase the supply of green energy for AI chip manufacturing, which could further increase costs.
On February 8, it was reported that Altman’s efforts to alleviate the AI chip shortage could mean raising between $5 trillion and $7 trillion. These numbers would outpace the current global semiconductor market, which is predicted to be a $1 trillion business by the end of 2010.
The lack of graphics processing units, which are essential to running AI applications, is a concern for OpenAI. Currently, Nvidia dominates the market, with a global market share of more than 80%.
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