In recent weeks, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other executives have actively engaged with investors to advance their large-scale AI infrastructure development plans. OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon has traveled to Japan and South Korea to discuss these plans, while Global Policy Vice President Chris Lehane has communicated with investors in Canada, and Altman himself has conversed with investors in the UAE and the US.
These negotiations come as OpenAI prepares for a new round of multi-billion dollar fundraising, with the company's valuation expected to exceed $100 billion. It is reported that Thrive Capital will lead this financing round, and Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia may also participate.
Regarding the infrastructure development plans, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that the company believes increasing infrastructure in the US is crucial to promoting the development of artificial intelligence and widely sharing its benefits, and is therefore actively seeking opportunities to achieve this goal.
Earlier this year, Altman sought support from the US government to establish a global investor alliance to fund the high-cost physical infrastructure necessary for the rapid development of artificial intelligence. He and his team are working on some undisclosed details, focusing on preliminary plans in various US states.
Altman believes it is crucial to work with the US government to determine the timing and structure of joint ventures. In an op-ed, he emphasized that US policymakers need to collaborate with the private sector to build the large-scale physical infrastructure required to operate AI systems.
A source familiar with the matter revealed that, aside from OpenAI, other companies will also benefit from these infrastructure projects, and any country allied with the US will benefit as well. Proponents argue that these construction projects will not only create jobs but also complement the CHIPS and Science Act, which provided $39 billion in subsidies to the US semiconductor industry.
However, OpenAI's global expansion plans could raise US national security concerns, particularly because of the scrutiny from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The committee is increasingly focused on Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and their connections to China. In recent months, OpenAI has had several meetings with the US National Security Council regarding its investment plans. These talks reportedly built on extensive dialogues with multiple US officials, including an April meeting with the US ambassador to the UAE. A spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment on these discussions.
