OpenAI chief working to create coalition for AI development

Altman met with investors and government officials in the United Arab Emirates this week to discuss how the private sector can work with countries to support costly, large-scale infrastructure for AI, said the people, who requested anonymity to share private discussions. Altman has also spoken with officials in a number of Western countries and is holding meetings in Washington later this week, one of the people said. It’s not yet clear what form this effort will take.

The meetings, which have not previously been reported, mark Altman’s latest attempt to address concerns that the supply of chips and other key infrastructure won’t be able to keep pace with the rapid deployment of AI. Altman has been working to raise billions of dollars from global investors for a chip venture, aiming to use the funds to set up a network of factories to manufacture semiconductors, Bloomberg has reported.

Altman's engagement with officials around the world represents a more sprawling outreach than was previously known. The CEO's current discussions also go beyond chip production to include other resources such as energy and data center capacity, several people familiar with the discussions said. It’s not yet clear what form this effort will take.

“As previously reported, OpenAI is having ongoing conversations about increasing global infrastructure and supply chains for chips, energy and data centers," a spokesperson for OpenAI said in a statement. "We look forward to sharing more details at a later date."