OpenAI, Oracle to add 4.5GW US data centre capacity in AI expansion
OpenAI has yet to name the data centre sites it will codevelop with Oracle, but states including Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming are under consideration. Together with its facility being built in Abilene, Texas, the company said it will have more than five gigawatts total in capacity, running on more than two million chips for AI work. Bloomberg earlier this month reported OpenAI's plans to rent the additional data centre capacity from Oracle.
In January, OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank Group announced they would invest US$500 billion in 10 gigawatts of AI infrastructure in the US in the next four years. OpenAI said on Tuesday (Jul 22) that it now expects to exceed that commitment. A gigawatt is enough to provide electricity for about 750,000 US homes. Oracle did not respond to a request for comment.
While OpenAI labelled the data centre expansion with Oracle as part of its Stargate project, SoftBank is not financing any of the new capacity, the AI company said. In May, Bloomberg reported that SoftBank was hitting snags in financing talks amid broader economic uncertainty around global tariffs.
The ChatGPT maker also shared an update on its initial Stargate site in Abilene, saying that the first data centre building there now powers some of OpenAI's compute workload for running and training its algorithms. Oracle began delivering the first racks of Nvidia GB200 chips last month and parts of the data centre has been up and running for a few weeks, the company said.
'We feel pretty good about our ability to move quickly on this because in many regards, Abilene was that beta test to prove out that you could build these at scale and at speed,' said Chris Lehane, OpenAI vice-president of global policy.
OpenAI also said it expects the additional data centre development to create more than 100,000 jobs in construction and operations in the US. Historically, data centres don't employ many full-time workers. BLOOMBERG
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
US agency approves OpenAI, Google, Anthropic for federal AI vendor list
[WASHINGTON] OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude have been added to a list of approved AI vendors, the US government's central purchasing arm said on Tuesday (Aug 5), as the Trump administration aims to boost AI's use by federal agencies. Tuesday's approvals by the General Services Administration (GSA) are part of a new AI blueprint released on Jul 23 that aims to loosen environmental rules and vastly expand AI exports to allies, in a bid to maintain the US edge over China in the technology. The GSA's step means the approved AI tools will be available for government agencies to use on a platform with contract terms in place. Federal agencies will explore 'a wide range of AI solutions, from simple research assistants powered by large language models to highly tailored, mission-specific applications,' the GSA said. The GSA added it is focused on AI models 'that prioritise truthfulness, accuracy, transparency, and freedom from ideological bias.' President Donald Trump has called the AI race the fight that will define the 21st century. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up His administration's AI plan, which includes some 90 recommendations, also calls for the export of US AI software and hardware, and a crackdown on state laws deemed too restrictive to let AI flourish. It is a marked departure from former President Joe Biden's 'high fence' approach that limited global access to coveted AI chips. The Biden administration last year required federal agencies using AI to adopt 'concrete safeguards' on its use and to monitor, assess and test AI's impacts on the public. Biden also signed an executive order aimed at promoting competition, protecting consumers and ensuring AI was not used for misinformation, a measure that was rescinded by Trump. REUTERS
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
US agency approves OpenAI, Google, Anthropic for federal AI vendor list
WASHINGTON :The U.S. government's central purchasing arm on Tuesday added OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude to a list of approved artificial intelligence vendors to speed use by government agencies. The move by the General Services Administration, allows the federal government advance adoption of AI tools by making them available for government agencies through a platform with contract terms in place. GSA said approved AI providers "are committed to responsible use and compliance with federal standards."
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Clay valued at $3.1 billion in latest fundraise as AI continues to run hot
AI startup Clay has raised $100 million in its latest fundraising round, the company said on Tuesday, valuing it at $3.1 billion, as investors continue to pour money into artificial intelligence companies. The round was led by Google-parent Alphabet's independent growth fund, CapitalG, indicating industry validation for Clay's offerings. The round brings the company's total funding to $204 million.
