(TNS) — OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman is working to win U.S. government approval for a massive undertaking to accelerate global manufacturing of artificial intelligence chips, but the effort is According to a person familiar with the matter, there is a risk that concerns about national security and antitrust laws will increase. .
Mr. Altman has been meeting with potential investors and partners in the United States, the Middle East and Asia in recent weeks, but has told some investors that he cannot move forward without a green light from Washington. said the officials. Do not reveal your name in confidential conversations.
Mr. Altman, who has become a familiar face in D.C. with numerous trips to Capitol Hill to advocate for AI policies, is now trying to get U.S. officials to buy into a plan to accelerate semiconductor production with some funding from the Middle East. It is said that He plans to build cutting-edge computing chips to avoid a worrying funding gap that hinders the large-scale adoption of AI and continued progress in the field, Bloomberg reported last month. reported that it aims to raise billions of dollars to dramatically increase the world’s ability to
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Intel and Samsung Electronics are major companies that make such chips and could be partners in Altman’s effort. Bloomberg reported that he met with Samsung executives last month, and the Financial Times reported that he spoke with TSMC. He is in talks with sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East for potential investments, including the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported.
Mr. Altman believes it is essential to work with the U.S. government on the approval, timing and structure of the project, said a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. That’s what it means. The CEO has met with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and is working to arrange talks with other officials, who are holding internal discussions about OpenAI’s Middle East ambitions, the people said. It is said that there is. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the two had met.
“OpenAI has had productive discussions about expanding our global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy, and data centers, which are critical to AI and other industries that depend on it,” the company said. said in a statement. “Given the importance of national priorities, we continue to keep the U.S. government informed and look forward to sharing further details at a later date.”
A Commerce spokeswoman said Raimondo has been meeting with a wide range of industry leaders, but the agency does not provide details of individual conversations.
Mr. Altman’s ambitious fundraising raises the risk of triggering a national security review of foreign investments by a committee chaired by the Treasury Department and could run afoul of Commerce Department regulations on chip shipments to the Middle East. .
Mr. Altman is also considering whether to form a new company separate from OpenAI and issue stock, which could raise antitrust concerns, some people said. That’s part of the reason why the plan needs approval from the U.S. government before moving forward.
U.S. law prohibits the same person from serving as a director or officer of two directly competing companies, and the Biden administration has stepped up scrutiny of so-called interlocking directors. It’s unclear whether OpenAI will provide funding or form a formal relationship with the new startup, but antitrust enforcement officials at the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice could There may be concerns about Altman’s involvement. .
The FTC, Treasury Department, and Justice Department declined to comment.
national security concerns
Mr. Altman’s exact plans remain in flux. The executive is looking for signals from the market to decide whether to focus on less extensive efforts to develop lower-level chips and software, or to aim for a major overhaul of chip manufacturing capabilities. said the officials. These decisions will determine how much money Altman will have to raise.
Recently, Altman has also begun considering whether the project should address ways to increase the supply of green energy available for AI chip manufacturing, a step that would further increase prices, two people said. .
Mr. Altman is a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which has drawn increasing attention to Middle Eastern wealth funds’ ties to China by pursuing foreign investments, including from wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates, according to people familiar with the matter. may be subject to surveillance. Lawmakers are also keeping a particular eye on Abu Dhabi AI firm G42, a potential investor in the chip venture, due to concerns over its relationship with China. The company recently announced it would pivot to the United States and reduce its presence in China.
Establishing a physical semiconductor facility in this region also poses unique challenges. In October, the U.S. moved to China over concerns that countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could serve as conduits for Chinese companies to access otherwise restricted chip and semiconductor capabilities. expanded restrictions on semiconductor shipments to much of the Middle East. Those chips are delivered via the cloud. Under the new rules, sales of certain advanced chips and semiconductor equipment to facilities in those countries will require permission from the U.S. government.
Mr. Altman’s plan could also create new wrinkles at the Commerce Department, which provides about $100 billion worth of semiconductor subsidies from the 2022 Chip Act. The funding, aimed at encouraging semiconductor manufacturing on U.S. soil, comes with conditions ranging from limits on stock buybacks to restrictions on investments in China. It’s unclear whether Mr. Altman’s efforts will complement or compete with that effort.
Commerce has announced only two small grants so far, but billions of dollars in grants to support advanced chip manufacturing facilities being built by TSMC, Samsung, and Intel. is expected in the coming weeks.
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