On Jan. 21, 2025, President Donald Trump, alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, announced a private sector plan to invest billions of dollars in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The announcement highlights the importance of data centers to the continued advancement of AI.
The tech leaders’ newly formed joint venture, Stargate, has committed to spend as much as $500 billion over the next four years to build data centers and other infrastructure for OpenAI development throughout the United States. According to a Jan. 21 announcement, Stargate “will begin deploying $100 billion immediately,” has started construction in Texas and is “evaluating potential sites across the country for more campuses as we finalize definitive agreements.”
Given AI’s potential to impact almost every area of life, including advancements in healthcare, education and military capabilities, the push for AI investment is at an all-time high. Experts have long advocated for increased data center construction to accommodate AI development and give the United States an advantage over China and other global tech players in the AI arms race.
