OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, is reportedly pursuing a groundbreaking initiative to raise trillions of dollars, including potential investment from the United Arab Emirates government, aimed at enhancing the global capacity for advanced chip production and fueling artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Described as a “wildly ambitious tech initiative,” Altman’s plan could involve raising up to $7 trillion, involving the construction of numerous chip foundries to be operated by established chip manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The initiative addresses challenges faced by OpenAI, particularly the scarcity of chips powering AI models such as ChatGPT, with the sums sought described as “outlandishly large” in the corporate fundraising realm.

Altman has reportedly engaged in discussions with senior UAE officials, executives from TSMC, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son. While many countries express intentions to boost domestic semiconductor production, the global supply chain is currently dominated by a few major players, including TSMC and NVIDIA.

An OpenAI spokesperson acknowledged “productive discussions about increasing global infrastructure and supply chains” but provided no further details. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, did not respond immediately to Al Jazeera’s request for comment. Altman, a prominent figure in the AI field, faced a brief exit from the startup in November, subsequently reinstated after protests from employees and investors.

By Impact Lab