BY COMFORT OGBONNA
Nvidia plans to make a “huge” investment in OpenAI, likely the largest in the chipmaker’s history, Chief Executive Jensen Huang said on Saturday, pushing back strongly against reports suggesting he was unhappy with the ChatGPT creator or that talks had stalled.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Huang said claims of discord between Nvidia and OpenAI were unfounded, emphasizing his confidence in the artificial intelligence firm and its leadership. “We are going to make a huge investment in OpenAI,” Huang said. “I believe in OpenAI. The work that they do is incredible. They are one of the most consequential companies of our time, and I really love working with Sam,” he added, referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Nvidia announced in September that it was considering investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI, a move that would provide the AI company with substantial capital and secure access to Nvidia’s advanced chips, which are critical for training and running large-scale AI models. Such an investment would also further cement Nvidia’s central role in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem, where demand for its high-performance processors continues to surge.
However, a report published on Friday suggested the plan had stalled after some Nvidia executives raised concerns internally. According to that account, Huang had privately told industry associates that the previously discussed $100 billion figure was non-binding and had not been finalized. The report also claimed Huang had expressed reservations about OpenAI’s business discipline and pointed to growing competition from rivals such as Google and AI startup Anthropic.
Huang directly rejected the idea that he was dissatisfied with OpenAI, calling the suggestion “nonsense.” He confirmed that Nvidia would participate in OpenAI’s current fundraising round, which Altman is leading. “Sam is closing the round, and we will absolutely be involved,” Huang said. “We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we’ve ever made.”
When asked whether Nvidia’s contribution would exceed $100 billion, Huang was quick to temper expectations. “No, no, nothing like that,” he said, adding that it would be up to Altman to publicly announce how much OpenAI ultimately aims to raise.
The comments come as OpenAI pursues one of the largest funding efforts ever attempted in the technology sector. The company is seeking to raise as much as $100 billion in new capital, a round that could value it at roughly $830 billion. Other major technology players are also showing interest. Amazon is reported to be in talks to invest tens of billions of dollars in OpenAI, with figures potentially reaching as high as $50 billion, highlighting the intense competition among tech giants to secure a strategic foothold in artificial intelligence.
Huang was speaking outside a restaurant in Taipei after hosting Nvidia’s key suppliers in Taiwan, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker. Taiwanese media dubbed the gathering the “trillion-dollar dinner,” a nod to the enormous combined market value of the companies represented, underscoring both Nvidia’s influence in the global chip supply chain and the high stakes surrounding the future of AI.
Original article


Comments