In a historic announcement for artificial intelligence (AI) applications to the United States, President Donald Trump announced the Stargate project, a $500 billion project to build the biggest AI network in the history of humankind. Announced at a highly publicized press conference at the White House, Trump lauded Stargate as a leap forward toward preserving America’s leadership in AI technology.
A bold venture backed by Sam Altman, the OpenAI boss, Larry Ellison, Oracle Chairman, and Masayoshi Son, chairman of SoftBank, will see $100 billion of immediate capital allocated. According to Trump, Stargate will generate more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S. and lay the “physical and virtual platform on which to get a network to build the next generation of AI.”
Oracle Corporation chairman Larry Ellison also provided further information about the project and confirmed that a one-million-square-foot Texas data center is under construction (construction started now). There are reports that Nvidia could also become a partner, although the tech company has not confirmed participation to date.
Elon Musk’s Reaction to Biggest AI Network in History Worth $500 Billion by Trump
Surprisingly, one of the pioneers in the field of AI and co-founder of OpenAI, Elon Musk, was not involved in the Stargate effort. Shortly following the announcement, Musk expressed doubt on X (formerly Twitter) by questioning the viability of the project from a financial stand point.
“They don’t actually have the cash $500 billion,” Musk tweeted, asserting that SoftBank’s total amount of available cash is much lower than the numbers reported. He also engaged with users speculating about a potential fallout between OpenAI and Microsoft, calling the situation “concerning.”
Musk’s remarks come amidst ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI. Having previously defended the company, Musk has blamed Sam Altman and OpenAI for betraying the company’s nonprofit past and transforming it into a money-oriented one.
AI’s Next Frontier
Notwithstanding Musk’s hesitancy, Sam Altman is still positive about Stargate’s future potential. “This is going to be the most critical project of this time,” Altman said, referring to the recognition of President Trump’s support.
An estimated US$500 billion over 4 years is to be invested to achieve the goal of Stargate, which seeks to reassert America’s lead in AI and to become a global leader in advanced technologies.
Also, see: List of Donald Trump’s Day 1 Orders as 47th U.S. President