The plan, which is still being evaluated, could be crucial to meeting the growing demand and costs of AI chips
OpenAI, renowned for developing ChatGPT under the command of Sam Altman, is studying the possibility of manufacturing its own artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Sources close to the company revealed that the organization is evaluating potential acquisitions in the sector in order to become independent in the field.
Since last year, OpenAI has been analyzing alternatives to face the limitation of specialized AI chips. Among the strategies considered, in addition to manufacturing its own chip, are partnerships with manufacturers, including Nvidia, and the diversification of suppliers.
However, Sam Altman is prioritizing the acquisition of more chips for the time being, even though he feels the weight of a market mostly dominated by Nvidia, which works with a margin based on the lack of competitors.
Since 2020, OpenAI has been using a supercomputer built by Microsoft, one of its main supporters, equipped with 10,000 Nvidia graphics processing units.
The cost of operating ChatGPT is significant: each search costs around 4 cents. If ChatGPT queries were to reach 10% of Google’s search volume, major investments in GPUs and chips would be required every year.
Technology companies such as Google and Amazon have already begun efforts to develop their own AI chips. If OpenAI decides to follow this path, it will face significant challenges and high investments.
The acquisition of a chip company could accelerate this process, similar to what Amazon did with Annapurna Labs in 2015.