Trump Announces $100 Billion AI Initiative

President Trump on Tuesday announced a partnership between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to create a computer infrastructure worth at least $100 billion for artificial intelligence.

The venture, called Stargate, adds to the tech company’s major investment in U.S. data centers, large buildings filled with servers that provide computing power. Stargate can invest up to $500 billion over four years. The three companies plan to fund the company, which will open to other investors and start with 10 data centers already under construction in Texas.

The announcement of the partnership was a first for Mr. Trump, although efforts to build the company preceded his inauguration on Monday. Mr Trump has promised to accelerate US-made AI production to rival China for global leadership in the technology, and on Monday he repeated an executive order from former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. which set safety standards and others. requirements for government use of AI

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he would remove barriers to create more information centers. He said he would make an “urgent announcement” to allow the Stargate to generate its own power, but gave no details.

“This great work is a resounding statement of confidence in what America can do,” Mr. Trump said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

“We will make it as easy as possible,” he added.

OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman; The head of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son; and the founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, was at the White House announcement with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump specifically addressed reporters’ questions about the potential sale of TikTok. On Monday, he signed an executive order that aims to halt enforcement of laws that restrict the sale or ban of popular apps in the United States on national security grounds.

When he was asked if he would support him Elon Musk buys TikTok, says Mr. Trump, “I am, yes.” Then he turned to Mr. Ellison and said that Oracle could also buy TikTok.

“I have the right to make a deal,” Mr Trump added.

Tech executives have flocked to show their support for Mr. Trump in recent months in hopes of currying favor and protecting themselves from legal retaliation. They gave millions to his campaign and inauguration. Mr. attended the inauguration. Altman and the heads of Google, Apple and Meta occupied the front row in the Capitol Rotunda.

Mr Trump has touted the promise of artificial intelligence for economic growth and appointed venture capitalist David Sacks to a new post as his AI adviser.

OpenAI has long been working on funding its ambitious goal of building research centers around the world. This month, the company laid out an economic roadmap for the new administration that focuses on large-scale plans for US data centers that are powered by AI tools like ChatGPT.

For years, Microsoft, which is OpenAI’s biggest investor, has provided the data center infrastructure needed to run the startup. But when ChatGPT’s developers struggled to get enough computer power from Microsoft, the two companies agreed that OpenAI could seek additional data centers built by Oracle.

(The New York Times sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, claiming that new content related to AI systems infringed copyright. Both companies denied the lawsuit’s claims).

Last year, Mr. Altman began meeting with investors in the United Arab Emirates, Asian computer disk manufacturers and officials in Washington, proposing that they come together to build new factories and data centers around the world.

After officials in Washington expressed concern that an American company was trying to build essential technology in the Middle East, OpenAI focused on building a new data center in the United States.