The ambitious “Stargate” AI project presented by Trump is causing controversy. Musk doubts funding while OpenAI’s Altman defends it. A titanic debate on the future of AI that…
The pharaonic investment project in artificial intelligence (AI) unveiled by American President Donald Trump is causing a stir. Called “Stargate,” it plans to commit at least $500 billion to AI infrastructure in the United States, in partnership with major players like Oracle, SoftBank and OpenAI. But this ambitious announcement is not unanimous, far from it.
Musk doubts financial strength
The always controversial Elon Musk, boss of Tesla and SpaceX, quickly threw a wrench into the pond. On his social network Musk notably pointed the finger at SoftBank, assuring from a reliable source that the Japanese conglomerate only has $10 billion.
A frontal attack to which Sam Altman, director of OpenAI, did not fail to respond. “False, as you probably know,” he replied, inviting Musk to “come and visit the first site under construction.” Altman then called on the world’s richest man, who is one of the co-founders of OpenAI, to prioritize the country’s interest in his “new role.”
One more casus belli between Musk and Altman
This tense exchange is only the latest episode in a long series of skirmishes between the two tech titans. Musk regularly criticizes Altman for having subverted OpenAI’s initial mission, originally focused on ethical and reasoned development of AI. Criticisms brushed aside by Altman, who claims to pursue this objective through projects like Stargate.
-Doubts about financing capacity
Beyond these personal quarrels, the question of financing Stargate remains unresolved. As Elon Musk points out, neither OpenAI nor Oracle are investment funds and do not a priori have the means to contribute significantly to the 500 billion announced. As for SoftBank, its real capacity for commitment remains to be demonstrated, especially as the Japanese group is going through a difficult time.
Only MGX, a fund backed by the United Arab Emirates, seems able to provide significant liquidity. But the overall setup of the operation remains nebulous in the absence of details from the actors involved. A vagueness which fuels speculation and doubts about the viability of this titanic project.
A frantic race for AI
This episode above all illustrates the intensity of the race for AI which is currently being played out, against a backdrop of exacerbated rivalry between the big names in the sector. Musk himself launched his own generative AI startup, xAI, in 2023, with the ambition of building the world’s largest “computing factory.” Everyone wants their share of the pie in this booming field, even if it means fierce competition.
It remains to be seen whether these colossal investments will actually materialize and lead to tangible progress. The subject is in any case taken very seriously by the Biden administration, which recently signed a decree to accelerate the construction of AI data centers. The battle for supremacy in this strategic area has only just begun.
