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Donald Trump announced a massive private investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure worth some $500 billion Tuesday. The announcement, first reported by CBS News, was made alongside the CEOs of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Japanese tech investment firm Softbank, and data-center giant Oracle.
Softbank’s Masayoshi Son said the announcement marked a new “golden age,” echoing Trump’s promise in his second inaugural address. OpenAI’s Sam Altman added that the firms “wouldn’t get to do this with you, Mr. President,” referring to Trump.
The joint venture, called Stargate, will see each company initially commit $100 billion and will kick off with the building 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 put $100 billion into building an AI supercomputer; Microsoft was reported to be “a technology partner” on the new Trump-backed project.
OpenAI’s Altman and other leading industry figures have argued the US should invest in data centers and AI infrastructure as a matter of national security, enabling the country to stay ahead of China technologically. In his announcement, Trump underscored the importance of US tech dominance, linking it to his campaign promise to boost US energy output.