Elon Musk Throws Shade at $500 Billion Stargate AI Project
CEO Elon Musk, of Tesla Inc, has publically criticized the newly announced Stargate project, a proposed artificial intelligence infrastructure in the US. The ambitious project, set to be supported by tech giants including OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank Group, and Microsoft, aims to reach $100 billion in initial funding and up to $500 billion by 2029. Musk expressed his doubts on Twitter, stating, “They don’t actually have the money”, specifically calling into question SoftBank’s ability to secure $19 billion in pledged funds.
Musk’s tweet drew a rebuttal from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who refuted Musk’s claims and emphasized the potential benefits for the country, saying, “This is great for the country. I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope you’ll mostly put US first”.
The Stargate project hopes to create a vast AI network by constructing data centers in states like Texas and plans to employ over 100,000 people in the United States. Musk’s skepticism puts the project’s viability into question, while opponents see the proposed investment as beneficial for the US’s AI capabilities.
